Tag: Steven Crowl

Where Wisconsin basketball ranks in latest AP Poll after loss to Illinois, win over Butler

Where Wisconsin basketball ranks in latest AP Poll after loss to Illinois, win over Butler

Wisconsin basketball fell out of the latest AP Poll on Monday.

After being ranked No. 20 in the poll’s Week 6 installation, Wisconsin earned just 19 points in this week’s update to fall from a top 25 ranking. The Badgers’ tough road loss to Illinois, which followed back-to-back losses to Michigan and Marquette, appears to have urged voters to drop the team from the list.

Marquette holds the No. 9 position in the latest poll, Michigan boasts the No. 24 spot and Illinois pocketed 70 votes, just outside of the top 25.

Tennessee remains in the No. 1 slot after a buzzer-beating win over the Fighting Illini improved it to 10-0 on the season. The Volunteers are followed by Auburn, Iowa State, Kentucky and Duke. No. 11 UConn, which collected a win over No. 13 Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden, made the largest jump in this week’s installation.

Big Ten teams in the top 25 include No. 10 Oregon, No. 16 Purdue, No. 18 UCLA, No. 20 Michigan State and No. 24 Michigan. Alongside Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois, Maryland and Indiana, were also ‘receiving votes.’

Here is a look at the full updated AP Poll top 25:

Wisconsin returns to the hardwood on Dec. 22 against Detroit Mercy for a chance to improve to 10-3 before the remaining Big Ten schedule.

UW’s convincing win over Butler on Dec. 14 provided fans with some clarity on how big men Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter look when at their best. The two combined for 38 points and 14 rebounds in the nine-point triumph to quell the Bulldogs’ front court attack.

Nonetheless, Greg Gard’s team faces a brutal second half schedule. Starting Jan. 3, the Badgers will tip off against 18 consecutive conference foes before the Big Ten Tournament.

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Wisconsin drops out of latest USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

Wisconsin drops out of latest USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

Wisconsin basketball dropped out of the latest USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll on Monday. It falls after splitting its pair of games last week — a loss on the road at Illinois and a neutral-site win over Butler.

The split results dropped the team from its No. 22 ranking to the ‘receiving votes’ section of the poll.

Five Big Ten teams remain ranked in the coaches’ latest top 25. Michigan (No. 21), Michigan State (No. 19), UCLA (No. 18), Purdue (No. 17) and Oregon (No. 10) all sit above UW in the official hierarchy

Tennessee remains atop the latest poll after an impressive 10-0 start. The full top 10 is as follows: Tennessee, Auburn, Iowa State, Kentucky, Duke, Florida, Alabama, Kansas, Marquette and Oregon. Both Marquette and Gonzaga dropped five spots.

Rank Team Record Points
1 Tennessee 10-0 765 (22)
2 Auburn 9-1 744 (9)
3 Iowa State 9-1 708
4 Kentucky 10-1 664
5 Duke 8-2 638
6 Florida 10-0 610
7 Alabama 8-2 601
8 Kansas 8-2 518
9 Marquette 9-2 496
10 Oregon 10-1 454
11 Texas A&M 9-2 368
12 Houston 6-3 363
13 UConn 8-3 337
14 Gonzaga 7-3 328
15 Oklahoma 10-0 308
16 Ole Miss 9-1 282
17 Purdue 8-3 264
18 UCLA 9-1 263
19 Michigan State 8-2 178
20 Cincinnati 8-1 146
21 Michigan 8-2 113
22 Memphis 8-2 111
23 San Diego State 7-2 110
24 Dayton 9-2 92
25 Mississippi State 9-1 92

Schools Dropped Out

No. 16 Clemson; No. 22 Wisconsin; No. 25 Baylor;

Others Receiving Votes

Clemson 87; Baylor 79; Illinois 50; St. John’s 48; Drake 44; Utah State 40; Arkansas 31; Maryland 29; Georgia 23; Wisconsin 22; Pittsburgh 21; Missouri 18; North Carolina 9; West Virginia 5; Creighton 5; Texas Tech 3; Penn State 2;

Wisconsin’s next tune-up is slated for Dec. 22 against Detroit Mercy at the Kohl Center. Barring a major upset, Wisconsin will improve to 10-3 on the season before beginning its full Big Ten schedule on Jan. 3 against Iowa.

The win most likely won’t elevate the Badgers into top 25 territory, but it could serve as an opportunity to experiment with rotations before the incoming regular season gauntlet.

RECAP: Wisconsin basketball snaps losing streak with 83-74 victory over Butler

Quick thoughts on Wisconsin’s win over Butler

Wisconsin basketball returned to the win column with an 83-74 win over Butler on Saturday.

The Badgers started hot, bursting out to a 9-0 lead in the game’s early stages. They kept that advantage throughout the first frame before an important closing 16-5 run built a 47-33 halftime lead.

Butler remained within striking distance for much of the second half. But Wisconsin held the opponent at arm’s length, holding on for a wire-to-wire victory.

The big story of the game was the performance of the Badgers’ big men, led by senior Steven Crowl. Crowl had been the center of conversation after he failed to record a rebound during the Badgers’ recent loss at Illinois. His response: 18 points and six rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting and 2-of-3 from three.

Nolan Winter was just as good, finishing with a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds on 8-of-15 shooting.

Wisconsin rebounded the ball better than it did during its three-game losing streak. It grabbed 32 total rebounds, matching Butler’s total. Most importantly, the Badgers held the Bulldogs to just five rebounds on the offensive end.

That rebounding and interior performance carried the team throughout. The Badgers shot just 44.8% from the field and 24% (6-of-25) from three-point range. They did, however, make 25 of 27 free throw attempts, while Butler went just 22-of-32. Those margins are where the game was decided down the stretch.

Wisconsin improves to 9-3 on the season with the victory. Butler drops to 7-4. The Badgers now have just one game (Dec. 22 vs. Detroit Mercy) before Big Ten play heats up on January 3. The win over Butler builds critical momentum before a quiet few weeks.

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Wisconsin coach Greg Gard after loss to Illinois: ‘How does [center Steven Crowl] have no rebounds?’

Greg Gard discussed Steven Crowl’s rebounding struggles postgame

The Wisconsin Badgers fell to Big Ten rival Illinois 86-80 on Tuesday night, extending their current losing streak to three games.

A significant story of the game was rebounding. Illinois entered as one of the nation’s top rebounding teams, while Wisconsin has struggled in that area. Those divergent trends led to Illinois grabbing 40 total rebounds to Wisconsin’s 29. The Badgers’ 18 defensive rebounds were barely more than Illinois’ tally on the offensive end (15). That discrepancy explains where the game was mostly decided.

Related: Big takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s loss to Illinois

There is one glaring number on the box score in that regard. Wisconsin starting center Steven Crowl finished with zero rebounds in 19 minutes, to go along with just nine points on 3-of-9 shooting.

The veteran center is key to the Badgers’ rebounding effort, given his size and position. A lack of production in the area is costly, especially against a team like Illinois with top-end size and rebounding ability.

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard discussed Crowl’s struggles after the game when asked specifically about how Crowl and John Tonje’s quiet offensive night was limiting.

“There’s ways that they can impact the game in other areas,” Gard began. “I think defensively, you look at [Steven Crowl’s] line, he has no rebounds. How do you have no rebounds?”

He went on to specifics on the team’s offensive inconsistency. In his words, due to Tonje and John Blackwell ‘over-dribbling.’ But the focus then returned to how the two veterans can impact the game when they aren’t scoring at a high clip.

“The biggest thing is obviously our 4s and 5s, the rebounding,” Gard continued. “I thought Nolan [Winter] was active and aggressive. He’s still young in terms of what he will he, he showed flashes of how good a player he can be. So I was happy for him.”

The Illinois matchup continued what has been an extended stretch of struggles from Crowl. He’s tallied just 13 total points and eight rebounds over the last three games, all losses, on 5-of-19 shooting and 1-of-7 from three.

He is play is an undeniable key to Wisconsin’s success. When he plays well, offensively and defensively, the team tends to win. His recent struggles, meanwhile, have directly correlated with a three-game losing streak against tough competition.

Gard has publicly expressed his desire for Crowl to be more aggressive in previous years. We’ll see what this sentiment on his rebounding tally leads to. Wisconsin is back on the court on Saturday for a neutral site matchup with Butler. The Badgers badly need a win with an extended holiday break upcoming.

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What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said after Badgers loss to Michigan

What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said after Badgers loss to Michigan

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard addressed the media following the Badgers’ narrow 3-point loss to Michigan on Tuesday.

Michigan big men Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf mostly dominated Wisconsin centers Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter throughout the contest. The two Wolverines combined for 44 of Michigan’s 67 points, corralled 12 total rebounds and blocked eight shot attempts.

Crowl and Winter, meanwhile, scored just 10 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked one shot attempt.

Gard addressed Michigan’s paint dominance with the media following the loss.

“It was Goldin and Wolf at the rim,” Gard said. “Goldin went seven for nine, and Wolf goes four for six, so it’s at the rim. We didn’t do a good job of handling that. We still ended up with them under a point per possession. They had 67 points on 70 possessions, so even with that, we were able to negate most of their three’s and make them have to go for two’s. They did a good job of taking advantage of that. Goldin’s a load, and they did a good job of putting those two guys in the middle of the floor and playing off it.”

A bulk of the damage arrived when both Goldin and Wolf switched on to Wisconsin’s smaller guards. That created an offensive advantage, specifically in the game’s waning minutes.

“When they did the big-big pick and roll, we didn’t get under and jam the roller well enough,” Gard said. “When you’ve got a 7-footer who can handle the ball and throw it up top, you have to prevent the roll coming down hill.”

UW’s 22.2% clip from deep didn’t help either. Wisconsin made just three of 16 three-point attempts in the second half which ultimately limited the variety of offensive looks the Badgers received in the closing frame.

“We need to knock down some threes so we can spread the ball a bit more,” Gard said. “When we can spread the floor a bit more, we can attack gaps and that allows us to get to the free throw line more. I thought we had good looks. I didn’t think they were all great, but typically we’re going to shoot 25 to 30 a game. You’ve got to hit at a clip that’s better than six for 27.”

Veteran guard Max Klesmit struggled mightily from that range. He ended with eight points off 3-of-14 from the field and 1-of-9 from long range. He missed multiple looks down the stretch and is now shooting 25.4% from deep this season.

“Max has made those shots before,” Gard said. “He’s in a slump right now, and we’ve got to help him get out of it. The one before that, the one of the backboard, it’s not what we wanted at that point… But the 22-second one, we ran that and got as good a look as you’re going to get.”

Next, Wisconsin will travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for an in-state showdown against No. 5 Marquette on Dec. 7.

Wisconsin basketball ascends latest AP Poll after 8-0 start to 2024-25 slate

Wisconsin basketball ascends latest AP Poll after 8-0 start to 2024-25 slate

Wisconsin basketball landed at No. 11 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday.

After being ranked No. 15 in the poll’s Week 5 installation, Wisconsin earned 903 points in this week’s update to claim the No. 11 spot in the hierarchy. UConn, which held the No. 2 position, and Houston, which boasted the No. 6 spot in Week 4, each fell out of the top 10 to elevate the Badgers.

Purdue (No. 8) is the only Big Ten squad ranked higher than Wisconsin on this week’s list. Oregon (No. 12) and Illinois (No. 23) are the two other Big Ten teams to make the top 25.

For context, UW received 666 points in Week 4 after securing wins over UT Rio Grande Valley, UCF and Pittsburgh from Nov. 18-24. Wisconsin’s Greenbrier Tip-Off-clinching win over Pitt, a team now ranked No. 18 in the poll, and 103-88 win over Arizona appear to hold some extra weight for voters.

Meltdowns from other squads also help the Badgers’ case. The Indiana Hoosiers dropped two straight to Louisville and No. 7 Gonzaga to drop out of the rankings, No. 20 North Carolina lost to both No. 2 Auburn and Michigan State, and No. 17 Houston lost to No. 10 Alabama and Notre Dame.

Wisconsin sensation John Tonje deserves a bulk of the credit for Wisconsin’s scorching start. The 6-foot-5 wing is averaging 22.9 points per game off 52.7% from the floor, over 42% from deep and nearly 95% from the charity stripe.

As a team, UW is averaging nearly 85.3 points per game off 46.8% from the field, 35.9% from beyond the arc and a blistering 86.4% from the free throw line.

Wisconsin’s next game is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. CT vs. Michigan at the Kohl Center. The Badgers will then travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to face rival Marquette, the current No. 5-ranked team in the sport.

Wisconsin surges in USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll after 8-0 start

Wisconsin surges in latest USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

After notching eight straight wins to start to 2024-25 season, Wisconsin is now up to No. 11 on the latest USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

Wisconsin played just one game this past week, a 74-53 win over the Chicago State Cougars at the Kohl Center. Losses from the Indiana Hoosiers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Houston Cougars and North Carolina Tar Heels prompted voters to elevate the undefeated Badgers to No. 11 on the most recent list.

Wisconsin’s upward trajectory is apparent. The Badgers failed to garner any consideration in the first in-season update after landing in the ‘receiving votes’ section in the preseason edition of the poll. Greg Gard’s team is now No. 11 in the latest update, plus No. 11 in the AP Poll.

Kansas remains the No. 1 in the poll after securing a statement win over Duke on Nov. 26. The Jayhawks are followed by No. 2 Auburn, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 4 Marquette and No. 5 Iowa State. Notably, two-time defending national champion UConn dropped out of the hierarchy entirely after three straight losses.

Including Wisconsin, a total of six Big Ten squads cracked Dec. 2’s installation of the top-25 list. Oregon, which beat both Texas A&M and Alabama during the week, moved up a staggering 27 spots in the poll while Michigan State and Michigan both entered the poll as well.

Rank Team Record Points
1 Kansas 7-0 760 (19)
2 Auburn 7-0 755 (12)
3 Tennessee 7-0 694
4 Marquette 8-0 646
5 Iowa State 5-1 629
6 Kentucky 7-0 628
7 Purdue 7-1 535
8 Gonzaga 7-1 517
9 Duke 5-2 472
10 Oregon 8-0 457
11 Wisconsin 8-0 450
12 Alabama 6-2 441
13 Florida 8-0 427
14 Cincinnati 6-0 376
15 Memphis 6-1 265
16 Baylor 5-2 262
17 Illinois 6-1 234
18 Houston 4-3 221
19 Pittsburgh 7-1 213
20 Ole Miss 6-1 139
21 Oklahoma 7-0 111
22 North Carolina 4-3 96
23 Michigan 6-1 90
24 Texas A&M 6-2 86
25 Michigan State 6-2 73 

Schools Dropped Out

No. 2 UConn; No. 15 Indiana; No. 19 Creighton; No. 21 Arkansas; No. 22 Xavier; No. 23 Arizona;

Others Receiving Votes

UConn 63; San Diego State 56; Texas 54; Mississippi State 39; Arizona State 39; Drake 34; Texas Tech 32; Arkansas 28; UCLA 17; Xavier 16; BYU 16; Ohio State 15; Utah State 13; Saint Mary’s 12; Dayton 10; St. John’s 8; Nebraska 8; Indiana 8; Creighton 8; West Virginia 5; Maryland 5; Clemson 5; Georgia 3; Arizona 2; UC Irvine 1; Nevada 1;

Wisconsin is back on the court on Dec. 3 against Michigan. Greg Gard’s team will then gear up for its iconic I-94 rivalry game against a formidable Marquette Golden Eagles team on Dec. 7 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Where Wisconsin basketball lands in first installation of NCAA NET rankings

Where Wisconsin basketball lands in first installation of NCAA NET rankings

Wisconsin basketball checked in at No. 17 in the first installation of the NCAA men’s basketball NET rankings on Monday.

Unlike ESPN BPI and KenPom, the NET ranking is a list that evaluates a program’s performance primarily based on the strength of its resume.

A significant aspect of the NET rankings is a team’s record in each quadrant. The NET features four quadrants formed based on game location and the opponent’s ranking, per the NCAA.

Here’s how those 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

For instance, if the Badgers defeated Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse and the Jayhawks held a 25 NET ranking, UW would receive a Quadrant 1 victory. If Greg Gard’s group dropped a game to Minnesota at the Kohl Center and the Golden Gophers boasted a NET of 80, it would be considered a Quadrant 3 loss.

Through eight games, the Badgers have collected one Quadrant 1 win over Pittsburgh in the Greenbrier Tip-Off and a pair of Quadrant 2 wins over UCF and Arizona.

Only Illinois (No. 10), Ohio State (No. 12), Oregon (No. 15) and UCLA (No. 16) are ranked ahead of Wisconsin in this season’s opening version of the ranking.

Wisconsin is off to an 8-0 start for the first time since 2013-14. Greg Gard’s crew is captained by star wing John Tonje, a former Missouri Tiger playmaker who averages nearly 23 points per appearance off 52.7% from the floor, 42.1% from three-point range and 94.5% from the charity stripe.

UW will be back on the hardwood for its first Big Ten match against the Michigan Wolverines on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at the Kohl Center.

What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said after Badgers win over Chicago State

What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said after Badgers win over Chicago State

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard addressed the media following the Badgers’ 74-53 win over Chicago State on Saturday.

For the first time since Wisconsin reached the NCAA Tournament Final Four in 2014, the team is 8-0. To achieve that on Sunday, the Badgers orchestrated a 21-5 scoring burst to break the game open in the second half against a winless Chicago State squad.

Wisconsin looked much more poised in the closing frame. In the second half, the Badgers worked through the post, nailed open looks and shared the basketball. It’s safe to say Gard was pleased with the performance.

“Simple post touches got us to the free throw line, and simple post touches got us wide-open threes,” Gard said after the game. “I thought we shared the ball really well to get 17 assists on 23 baskets. Defensively, we were solid. When the ball is not going in, you have to continue to find ways to have success.”

Wisconsin also received 19 bench points from Xavier Amos, Riccardo Greppi, Jack Janicki, Markus Ilver and Carter Gilmore. Even though the second-unit guys don’t often receive the headlines from media or attention from Badger faithful, Gard honored those contributions following the win.

“The other thing that jumped out is the guys that got minutes off the bench, even if it was the small amount that Camren Hunter [or] Riccardo Greppi got,” Gard said. “I thought they made the most of it… I always remind guys that no matter if you’re getting 20 seconds or 39 minutes, make the most of it because they all add up.”

Another bright spot for Wisconsin was big man Steven Crowl. The senior assisted or scored on UW’s first seven points in the win and finished with nine points, seven rebonds and five assists in the effort.

“His ability to pass, he’s a very willing and sometimes too unselfish of a passer,” Gard said. “At seven feet, he’s such a great weapon. You’re inverting your offensive. You just throw it in and play off that. Guys are getting more comfortable on when to cut, where to cut to. He does a really good job of finding people whether it’s backside or if they don’t cover a cut at the rim, he finds them.”

UW will return to the hardwood for its first Big Ten game against the Michigan Wolverines on Dec. 3 with hopes of remaining undefeated before the I-94 rivalry game vs. No. 10 Marquette on Dec. 7.

RECAP: Wisconsin rolls past Chicago State to notch eighth win of 2024-25 season

RECAP: Wisconsin rolls past Chicago State to notch eighth win of 2024-25 season

Wisconsin basketball rolled past Chicago State 74-53 on Saturday to pick up its eighth victory of the 2024-25 season. As many predicted, it was all Badgers from start to finish.

UW wing John Tonje again captained Wisconsin’s offensive attack with 22 points off 5-of-12 from the field, 3-of-6 from deep and 9-of-10 from the free throw line in 29 minutes of action. The North Omaha, Nebraska native also added five rebounds and three assists in the 21-point blowout win.

Veteran center Steven Crowl logged nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 28 minutes, and sophomore center Nolan Winter added 12 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes as well.

Fresh off their Greenbrier Tip-Off win on Nov. 24, the Badgers set the tone early. UW built a 12-2 lead within the first five minutes of action courtesy of eight points from Tonje and a pair of layups from big men Crowl and Winter.

Wisconsin maintained a relatively comfortable lead from that point forward. Fueled by 10 points from Winter, the Badgers piloted a 21-5 scoring spurt to stretch their lead to 53-32 by the 10:14-minute mark of the second half.

Greg Gard’s bench essentially put a bow on the second half scoring, and Wisconsin claimed its eighth straight win of the 2024-25 slate in dominant fashion.

It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but Wisconsin did exactly what it needed to do to snag the victory. As a unit, the Badgers shot an underwhelming 39% from the field and 33.3% from outside. The team shared the wealth with 17 assists, plus scored 19 points off Chicago State turnovers. The Badgers leaned on Winter and Crowl’s size against Cougars — UW out-rebounded Chicago State by eight in the effort.

With the win, Wisconsin starts the season 8-0 for the first time since 2013-14.

The Badgers will now look to keep its undefeated start to the season alive when it hosts the Michigan Wolverines on Dec. 3.