Tag: Wisconsin basketball

RECAP: Turnovers plague Wisconsin as it falls to rival Marquette 88-74

RECAP: Turnovers plague Badgers as they fall to rival Marquette 88-74

Wisconsin basketball fell to 8-2 on the season with an 88-74 loss to rival Marquette on Saturday.

The game was a tale of two halves. The Badgers led 39-37 at the break, driven by hot shooting from guard Max Klesmit and wing John Tonje. That shooting was enough to overcome eight first-half turnovers and general offensive sloppiness.

But just as occurred during Wisconsin’s recent home loss to Michigan, the script flipped in the second frame. The Badgers’ turnovers became costly. Marquette forced eight second-half turnovers, numerous leading to points. The team built a lead fresh out of the locker room. Every time Wisconsin made a step to trim the lead, Marquette answered with a big basket.

Kam Jones led the way for the Golden Eagles with 32 points, six assists, four steals and two rebounds on 12-of-21 shooting and 3-of-7 from three. Starters David Joplin, Chase Ross and Stevie Mitchell all added double-figure outputs as the team combined to shoot a whopping 50% from the field.

The turnover discrepancy mostly decided the game. Wisconsin handed 16 possessions away, leading to 16 Marquette points. That while the Badgers forced just five turnovers, scoring seven points off those opportunities.

Max Klesmit led Wisconsin with 22 points on 6-of-11 from three in a resurgent shooting effort. Otherwise, most everyone else struggled both shooting and taking care of the basketball.

The Badgers are back on the court on Tuesday on the road against No. 19 Illinois (6-2, 0-1 Big Ten). Greg Gard’s team needs a win in that contest to avoid dropping three consecutive games after its 8-0 start.

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What Michigan head coach Dusty May said after win over Wisconsin

What Michigan head coach Dusty May said after narrow win over Wisconsin

Michigan head coach Dusty May addressed the media following the Wolverines’ 67-64 win over Wisconsin on Tuesday.

May, who took over the Wolverines’ head coaching responsibility this spring after Juwan Howard was fired, secured his first career Big Ten win as Michigan’s head coach vs. the Badgers. He previously coached at Florida Atlantic — and took the Owls to the Final Four in 2022-23 in his fifth season at the helm

To steal the victory over Wisconsin, May turned to his two-headed attack of big men Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin. Wolf, who finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and a team-best five assists, primarily orchestrated the Wolverines’ offense in the fourth quarter.

“He really is a guard in a 7-footer’s body,” May said. “The way he dribbles, the way he shoots it, the way he can create space. As the games have boiled down, we’re trying to figure out what’s our best plan of attack in the half court. That, in a small sample size, had been a really efficient attack for us. So we started trying to get everyone more aware of it… Danny wasn’t trying to hit home runs, he was just making the right play… he created the advantage.”

Goldin also played a monumental role. The 7-footer scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half, including the final six points for Michigan.

“I think he picks his spots really well,” May said of Goldin. “Obviously he’s so big and strong around the rim. Offensively, when you have the hands that he has and you’re such a big target, we’ve got to find ways to continue to get him the ball. He played at a very efficient rate, and I think he had a few that didn’t drop that we expect to go in moving forward.”

In preparation for the Badgers, May focused on Wisconsin wings John Blackwell and John Tonje. The two account for more than 37 points per appearance for UW and generate countless opportunities at the free throw line.

By keeping the two from exploding offensively, the Badgers turned to others to create from deep. Greg Gard’s seven other rotational pieces went a combined 3-21 from deep in the loss.

“Blackwell and Tonje, they shoot the three off the bounce, off the catch, they get downhill and when you reach, they make you pay,” May said. “I thought they both found different ways to impact the game. We took a calculated risk to plug a bit more off the big guys, and they didn’t knock them down tonight. Also, because we were going at them a little bit defensively, maybe they didn’t have quite the legs. I’m not sure. Our game plan was to keep those two off the free throw line and try to limit their three-point shots.”

Michigan now moves to 7-1 on the season and will likely wind up in the next installation of the AP Poll. Wisconsin, meanwhile, falls to 8-1. It is back in action on Saturday against No. 5 Marquette.

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 dips in KenPom, ESPN BPI after loss to Michigan

Wisconsin basketball dips in KenPom, ESPN BPI after loss to Michigan

Wisconsin basketball fell to 8-1 on the season with a 67-64 loss to Michigan on Tuesday.

The score seesawed for virtually the entire contest until Michigan center Vladislav Goldin orchestrated an individual scoring spurt late to put the Wolverines up for good. Michigan’s big men — Goldin and forward Danny Wolf — combined for 44 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks in the victory.

Two of Wisconsin’s primary contributors — center Steven Crowl and guard Max Klesmit — struggled mightily against the Wolverines. The two shot a combined 1-of-11 from the field and could not find a rhythm throughout the entire contest.

UW’s loss to Michigan is nowhere near an indictment the team and its quality. The Wolverines land at No. 17 in KenPom (No. 42 offense, No. 5 defense) and No. 32 in the ESPN BPI following the triumph — they could be among the best in the Big Ten.

Still, Wisconsin dipped a few spots in both rating metrics after the loss.

Greg Gard’s squad is now ranked No. 33 in KenPom (No. 25 offense, No. 56 defense) and No. 35 in the ESPN BPI. Following their win over Chicago State on Saturday, the Badgers were ranked No, 29 in KenPom and No. 31 in ESPN BPI.

Wisconsin’s next game could further dampen their positions in these ratings metrics. The Badgers are set to square off against No. 5 Marquette in Milwaukee on Dec. 7. The game will serve as a true indicator of what this team is capable of against true juggernauts in the sport.

RECAP: Wisconsin basketball falls short against Michigan, drops first game of 2024-25 season

RECAP: Wisconsin basketball falls short against Michigan, drops first game of 2024-25 season

Wisconsin basketball fell to the Michigan Wolverines 67-64 on Tuesday night, dropping its first game of the 2024-25 season.

The story of the game can be told by a pair of stat lines:

Michigan center Vladislav Goldin finished the contest with 24 points, four rebounds and three blocks on 9-of-16 shooting, while forward Danny Wolf closed with 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and five blocks on 7-of-11 shooting.

Michigan’s two big men dominated the contest from start to finish. In a game where neither team found its shooting stroke from deep (Michigan 24% from three, Wisconsin 22%), the interior play of those two players ignited the Wolverines’ victory.

The game was tightly contested in every category. Michigan shot 39% to Wisconsin’s 34.4%, grabbed 43 rebounds to Wisconsin’s 41 and scored 34 points in the paint to Wisconsin’s 28.

The back-and-forth battle was decided by a key exchange late in the second half: Wisconsin led 64-61 with 2:23 remaining. A Goldin dunk cut the deficit to one point, before another layup gave Michigan a one-point lead with 1:34 remaining. Max Klesmit got several clean looks from three-point range to put the Badgers back in front. He missed the first, which allowed the Wolverines to extend the lead to 67-64. He then missed the second as time expired.

Wisconsin falls to 8-1 and 0-1 in Big Ten play with the loss. Michigan, meanwhile, is 7-1 to start Dusty May’s first season in charge. The triumph also pushed the Wolverines to 1-0 in Big Ten play.

The Badgers are back in action on Saturday on the road at rival No. 5 Marquette.

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Wisconsin basketball to debut ‘By the Players’ uniforms vs. Michigan

Wisconsin basketball to debut ‘By the Players’ uniforms vs. Michigan

This story was updated to correct a misspelling/typo.

The Wisconsin Badgers will debut their 2024-25 ‘By the Players’ alternate uniforms on Tuesday vs. Michigan.

For the fifth straight season, UW’s players collaborated with Under Armour to produce a unique uniform that will be featured several times throughout the 2024-25 slate. That tradition began in 2020 with jerseys designed by Brad Davison, Aleem Ford, Micah Potter and D’Mitrik Trice.

This season, veteran guards Wisconsin native Kamari McGee and Max Klesmit spearheaded the design effort. The jerseys feature Madison’s skyline above the players’ last names on their threads, a pair of enlarged Bucky Badgers on the shorts, and a red emblem of the state on the athletes’ waistbands.

The uniforms also include a black and red zig-zag design on each side of the torso. Similar to last season, the jerseys include a white background. The lettering, however, will be a red with a shade of black surrounding the edges.

Outside of looking distinct, the initiative also UW’s players to feel connected to the product. McGee and Klesmit’s involvement as senior Wisconsin natives also makes the jersey’s all the more special for a roster poised to make a postseason run this season.

UW’s game vs. the Wolverines will commence at 8:00 p.m. CT exclusively on Peacock.

Former Wisconsin transfer guard makes history for Nebraska in 31-point win

Former Wisconsin transfer guard makes history for Nebraska in 31-point win

Former Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian made history in Nebraska‘s 103-72 win over North Florida on Sunday.

In the blowout win, the former Badger transfer went off for 22 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals on 8-of-10 shooting and 6-of-8 from three. Essegian joined Cary Cochran as the second player in school history to nail six or more three-point field goals in back-to-back games.

This was also the second straight game Essegian scored 20 or more points. The former Badger went for a career 29 points of 10-of-22 shooting and 6-of-15 from three in Nebraska’s recent win over South Dakota.

The Fort Wayne, Indiana native’s stellar string of performances now pushes his per-game averages to 21.5 minutes, 14.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 50% shooting and 44.4% from three.

The Cornhuskers certainly hoped to acquire this version of Essegian when he elected to transfer from Wisconsin to Nebraska this April. As a freshman for the Badgers, Essegian averaged 11.7 points per game off nearly 36% from deep in 35 appearances.

His production dropped dramatically as a sophomore with UW, prompting the sharpshooter to transfer to a different program this spring. He’s beginning to hit his groove under head coach Fred Hoiberg, a fellow marksman during his tenure in the NBA from 1995-2005.

The Cornhuskers sit at 7-1 on the season and earned 22 votes on Monday’s AP Poll. Essegian’s team opens Big Ten play on Saturday, Dec. 7 against Michigan State.

Wisconsin basketball’s game against Michigan will only be available on one streaming platform

Wisconsin basketball’s game against Michigan will only be available on one streaming platform

The Wisconsin Badgers (8-0, 0-0 Big Ten) will host the Michigan Wolverines (6-1, 0-0 Big Ten) on Tuesday evening. The game will begin the 2024-25 conference schedule for both schools after each has started strong against their respective nonconference slates.

Wisconsin’s first Big Ten game of the season brings a fresh reminder about how to watch college basketball in the modern age of the sport: the big game will only be available via streaming on Peacock.

Related: Updated Big Ten basketball power rankings (Dec. 2): Oregon surges, Indiana plummets

Wisconsin has played one Peacock game so far this season — its Nov. 15 win over then-No. 9 Arizona.

The streaming-exclusive games are part of the Big Ten’s new television deal with Fox, CBS and NBC. Peacock, a property of the latter, has been the home for numerous football and basketball games over the past two years.

Wisconsin’s important home matchup against Michigan is the next in the long line of those matchups.

Wisconsin is 8-0 to begin the season and ranked No. 11 in the latest AP Poll entering Tuesday. Its resume already include wins over Arizona and No. 18 Pittsburgh. Michigan, meanwhile, is 6-1 to begin the season under first-year head coach Dusty May. It’s start is highlighted by a recent win at the Fort Myers Tip-Off, capped by a 78-53 victory over Xavier.

The Badgers and Wolverines will tip off at 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT. Again, a Peacock subscription is required to watch the contest.

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

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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.