Take a quick glance at the results of Wisconsin’s big three sports and you would likely chalk up this year as one of the more successful years in recent memory. The football team appeared in its third Rose Bowl in as many years after winning the Big Ten Championship against… Read more »

Player of the Year: Jared BerggrenIf head coach Bo Ryan ever needs to show his value as a premier developer of talent, he can do it with just two words: Jared Berggren.The Princeton, Minn. native is one of Ryan’s finest examples of how he can maximize his players’ talent, transforming… Read more »

Starters: B- Wisconsin’s starting five provided, as usual, the bulk of the offense this season, scoring on average 70 percent of the team’s total points per game. Defensively, the group was as solid as any in the country, spearheading a Badger defense that ranked top in the Big Ten and… Read more »

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the first time since 2006, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team left its opening round game in the NCAA tournament with a loss after falling to Mississippi, 57-46. Both fifth-seeded Wisconsin (23-12, 12-6 Big Ten) and 12th-seeded Ole Miss (27-8, 12-6 SEC) struggled to find any… Read more »

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Wisconsin players wiped tears from their eyes and stared blankly into the locker room walls, emotions consuming any room for words. This was the unceremonious aftermath of the fifth-seeded Badgers dropping their opening game of the NCAA tournament, 57-46, to 12th-seeded Mississippi Friday afternoon at… Read more »

There’s no doubt that Marshall Henderson is the heart and soul of the Ole Miss basketball team, but the journeyman guard has been on quite a journey through three different schools, run-ins with the law and plenty of controversy to get to where he is now.Here’s a brief introduction to… Read more »

The secret, it seems, is in the defense. It is the defense that powered the Wisconsin men’s basketball team to a fourth-place finish in the Big Ten and a run to the Big Ten tournament championship game in Chicago last weekend. It is the defense that has allowed the Badgers… Read more »

Recently named a member of Cosmopolitan’s “Hottest Guys of March Madness 2013,” Wisconsin redshirt senior Mike Bruesewitz was not surprised. “Absolutely not,” Bruesewitz said with a straight face. “I deserve to be on that list. I worked extremely hard to be on that list. I clearly am very concerned about… Read more »

While Marshall Henderson is the player on Ole Miss who steals the spotlight, in reality, the biggest reason the Rebels are in the dance is the play of senior forward Murphy Holloway. In his second season since transferring back to Ole Miss from South Carolina, Holloway has served as a… Read more »

As Wisconsin used a 13-0 run to pull it into a first half lead and Ohio State utilized a 10-0 run of its own to retake the lead early in the second half, it seemed like a game of elongated runs would decide the winner of the Big Ten tournament.… Read more »

It seemed a fitting end that the last game of conference play in the Big Ten was a 40 minute slugfest, featuring 10 different lead changes and a score that was tied seven times as Wisconsin and Ohio State exchanged blow after blow. Like it has at numerous points in… Read more »

Even before the opening tip of Wisconsin’s Big Ten tournament championship game with Ohio State at the United Center Sunday, it felt like the Badgers’ newfound mojo might start running dry. Bo Ryan’s group, the one pegged for its ugly style and lack of “talent,” had orchestrated a stunning offensive… Read more »

Strangely, the Badgers have no one to blame but themselves for the resurgence of the Buckeyes these last few weeks. It was Wisconsin’s 71-49 thrashing of Ohio State at the Kohl Center that several OSU players cited as the reason for their season turning around. It’s also the reason the… Read more »

CHICAGO — For fifth-year senior forward Ryan Evans, it has never been a question of potential. The Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s 6-foot-6 forward, a player who recently earned the collective laughs of the country when his jump-shot free throws landed on ESPN’s First Take, may be the best athlete on… Read more »

Wisconsin players took to the court Saturday afternoon before their game with Indiana wearing warm-up shirts donning the slogan “rise to the occasion.” And that’s just what the Badgers did for the second time this season against the top-seeded Hoosiers, this time at the United Center Saturday afternoon. Relying on the toughness… Read more »

CHICAGO — Traevon Jackson’s message was clear. His team trying to recollect itself in the United Center locker room at halftime and recover from a disastrous 17-point first half effort, the sophomore guard had an idea for reigniting Wisconsin’s offense: stop heaving up contested three-pointers and feed the ball through… Read more »

CHICAGO — As shot after shot continued to clank off the rim, Wisconsin’s chances of spending another day at the Big Ten Tournament were falling to a level even worse than their 17.2 first-half shooting percentage. The United Center halftime show may have just helped them out, as a crew… Read more »

Key 1: No Turnovers It’s no secret what Indiana wants to do. Run. Run. Run. Wisconsin doesn’t have the athletes, the speed or the skill to outrun or outgun Indiana in an up-tempo game. Head coach Bo Ryan knows this; just look at the gameplan he used to slow things… Read more »

Penn State may be the 12-seed heading into the Big Ten Tournament’s open round, but that doesn’t mean the team is a long shot to beat the 5-seed, Michigan. After all, the Nittany Lions have already shocked the Wolverines once this season. Losing their first meeting in Ann Arbor, Mich.,… Read more »

It’s nearly impossible to follow up a miracle, the kind of game singularly defined by “The Shot.” But if the Wisconsin men’s basketball team draws a rematch with Michigan in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament Friday, it will be trying to do just that. It was just more… Read more »

After being named Big Ten Coach of the Year Monday, Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Bo Ryan briefly addressed winning the award at his Tuesday press conference. But, it wasn’t to acknowledge himself. Rather, Ryan deflected any and all praise to his staff, his players and the university. “For awards, individual… Read more »

They enter their final games in a Wisconsin uniform not as Bo Ryan’s most celebrated class, nor its most star-studded. Their final game at the Kohl Center is now encapsulated as a bittersweet memory, and it is partially up to these seniors to determine how much longer the road stretches… Read more »

He said he wanted to win a state championship his senior year, just like “everybody else.” Although he didn’t directly clarify who “everybody else” was, it seemed clear that Aquinas senior point guard Bronson Koenig was referring to his future teammates on the Wisconsin Badgers, freshman forward Sam Dekker and… Read more »

After a poor start to nonconference play nearly derailed the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s (21-10, 12-6 Big Ten) hopes of a 14th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, strong conference play from the Badgers put them right back on track and helped them finish tied for fourth in a difficult Big Ten… Read more »

Entering the fourth quarter at the Kohl Center comfortably leading Lodi 41-24, Aquinas players seemed to relax, knowing that their second state championship in three years lay just eight minutes out of their grasp. But, the Blue Devils had no plans of letting Blugolds senior star Bronson Koenig and his… Read more »

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Maybe Traevon Jackson made his buzzer-beating 3-pointer because Penn State forgot he was left-handed. Or maybe it’s because of the free run Jackson had to his spot on the left wing. What the Wisconsin guard cared about most was that the bucket allowed the 22nd-ranked… Read more »

For coordinating producer Bill Friedman, the Big Ten Network original series The Journey is about finding the most intriguing personalities and capturing stories that reveal a side of these players hidden to most fans. It was just that criteria that convinced him to include three Wisconsin basketball seniors — Mike… Read more »

EAST LANSING — After a 20-point second half effort doomed Wisconsin in a humbling defeat to Purdue Sunday, the Badgers’ offensive futility seemed to finally be catching up with them. Catch up they did at the Breslin Center Thursday night as UW’s distant Big Ten title hopes finally crumbled in… Read more »

EAST LANSING — Although Big Ten basketball can tend to show it’s ugly face with brash, defensive battles throughout the winter months, Wisconsin had yet to experience one like they did Thursday night against Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. The Badgers (20-10, 11-6) hung around the Spartans (23-7, 12-5)… Read more »

After a demoralizing 69-56 Senior Day loss to Purdue Sunday, members of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team were ready to concede their chance at a Big Ten title. They may have spoken too soon. When No. 14 Ohio State knocked off No. 2 Indiana Tuesday night — spoiling the Hoosiers’… Read more »

The moment Sam Dekker walks into the Nicholas Johnson Practice Pavilion’s court, a member of the UW Athletics Communication department asks how long The Badger Herald’s photo shoot will take. It only took five seconds to understand the reason for his inquiry. It was two weeks ago on Sunday and… Read more »

With the clock crawling closer to zero, the three-point heaves became a sign of desperation as the Wisconsin men’s basketball team watched a nine-point lead evaporate in four minutes early in the second half. Not a single one of the No. 17 Badgers’ 12 shots from beyond the arc in… Read more »

Senior Day is always supposed to be bittersweet. But, for the first time ever under head coach Bo Ryan, Wisconsin sent its seniors off the Kohl Center floor for the final time in their careers with a feeling that was just bitter. Playing the role of spoiler, Purdue (14-15, 7-9)… Read more »

When Jared Berggren stepped onto the Kohl Center floor Tuesday night, he knew he needed to swat away two balls to tie the all-time Wisconsin record for blocks in a career. And he wasted no time attacking that record in a 77-46 stomping of Nebraska (13-15, 4-11 Big Ten), grabbing… Read more »

With first-place Indiana falling on the road to Minnesota earlier in the night, the stage was set for Wisconsin to get back in the Big Ten title hunt. And boy, did they ever. Benefitting from a career night for freshman Sam Dekker and woeful shooting by its opponent, Wisconsin bested… Read more »

After a quick one-game road trip at Northwestern, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team (19-8, 10-4 Big Ten) returns to the Kohl Center for its final two home games of the season with a new No. 17 ranking to boot in the most recent Associated Press poll. After a rough start… Read more »

It may not start with the sexiest of opponents, but the Wisconsin men’s basketball team is about to embark on its most critical stretch of the season, one that will determine its positioning in the postseason. With a victory over Nebraska (13-14, 4-10 Big Ten) at the Kohl Center Tuesday… Read more »

For a team that spends a majority of its time camped outside of the three point arc, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team went for a change of pace Wednesday night and made the paint their home at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Northwestern (13-14, 4-10 Big Ten) never stood a chance against Wisconsin… Read more »

EVANSTON, Ill. – When Ben Brust missed two deep three-point attempts to open the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s (19-8, 10-4 Big Ten) road bout with Northwestern (13-14, 4-10 Big Ten) Wednesday night, the game had all the early signs of an anxiety-ridden, Big Ten dogfight. But the dry spell ended… Read more »

With an elevated style of play from top to bottom in the Big Ten this season, coaches and players alike from the conference’s top tier of teams are hesitant to call any contest a “trap” game. With Wisconsin (18-8, 9-4 Big Ten) traveling to Evanston, Ill., for a date with… Read more »

Ohio State felt the bite from Wisconsin’s “Killer B’s” Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center. That is, the trio of Jared Berggren, Ben Brust and Mike Bruesewitz. The Badgers’ post presence of Berggren, the three-point sharpshooting of Brust and the hustle of Bruesewitz proved too much for the Buckeyes to… Read more »

Ryan Evans nearly brought the Kohl Center roof tumbling down with a thunderous, one-handed put-back slam. Ben Brust ignited an 18-0 run early with three quick three-pointers and finished with his fifth double-double of the season. Lost in the celebration of Wisconsin’s 71-49 rout of No. 13 Ohio State (18-7,… Read more »

MINNEAPOLIS — It was overtime again. For a program-record third straight game, Wisconsin needed extra time against Minnesota Thursday night and the lone difference was that this time, the Badgers could not complete the closing act. Because this time, even overtime could not drag the No. 20 Badgers out of… Read more »

When the newly-ranked No. 20 Wisconsin men’s basketball team (17-7 overall, 8-3 Big Ten) heads to Williams Arena in Minneapolis Thursday for a matchup with Minnesota (17-7 overall, 5-6 Big Ten), it will be facing a team that has not successfully defeated the Badgers in close to three seasons. The… Read more »

Offense — B- The magic number for the Badgers has been 60 this season. Wisconsin’s record in games in which the team scores 60 points or more is an impressive 15-2, compared to 2-7 in the games the squad has scored less than that amount. Both of UW’s wins this… Read more »

Déjà Vu of Alando Tucker 2005 You might be a little too young to remember, but the play you saw Ben Brust convert a last-second miracle on was actually used successfully once before. The date: Mar. 12, 2005. The place: The United Center and the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.The… Read more »

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When Michigan’s Tim Hardaway Jr. sunk a three-pointer with Mike Bruesewitz in his face and less than three seconds on the clock, it appeared to be the shot of the game. But the Ben Brust Show had yet to complete its opening act. With 2.4 seconds on the clock, Bruesewitz… Read more »

In one of the Wisconsin basketball team’s most physical, hard-fought victories of the year against Iowa Wednesday night, the Badgers were able to keep one of the Big Ten’s best players from ever getting comfortable. Iowa forward Aaron White, who entered the game as the lone Hawkeye to average double… Read more »

For a team plagued by poor free throw shooting, Wisconsin didn’t act the part in the two overtimes against Iowa Wednesday night. Converting on 13-of-14 from the line after regulation and receiving a deadlock-breaking three pointer from freshman forward Sam Dekker, the Badgers (16-7, 7-3) beat the Hawkeyes (14-9, 3-7)… Read more »

In its last 20 meetings, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team has held a commanding 14-6 advantage over Iowa. But three of those six losses have come over the past two seasons as the Badgers have not taken down the Hawkeyes in nearly two years. So what is it about Iowa… Read more »

Offense: C+ Shooting three-point shots is something the Badgers’ offense has revolved around this season. The problem is, with a reliance on the outside shot comes a larger risk for going cold from the field, compared to attacking the rim. And nowhere has that been more evident than the usual… Read more »

As the Badgers hit mid-season conference play, they find themselves fifth in the Big Ten standings and searching for a spot in the AP rankings. Coming off a road win against Illinois, the Badgers hope to avenge an earlier season loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes when the two teams meet… Read more »

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Since Frank Kaminsky was poked in the eye in a game on Jan. 15, he had played a total of four minutes for Wisconsin. The iris in his left eye was cut, and for several days after the injury he couldn’t see out of that eye.… Read more »

Suddenly, Jan. 12 appears a distant memory for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team. That day the Badgers (14-7, 5-3 Big Ten) stormed onto the Kohl Center floor and routed an Illinois (15-7, 2-6) team then ranked No. 12 in a 74-51 win. It marked UW’s sixth consecutive victory, its confidence… Read more »

George Marshall sits alone on the line in a gym. Marshall bends his knees and flicks his wrist, releasing the ball effortlessly in a smooth motion. Swish. He does the same thing, over and over again like a machine with the same, automated product at the end of the sequence,… Read more »

After a thrilling win in the final seconds against conference rival Minnesota, the Badgers are now 5-2 in Big Ten conference play. Head coach Bo Ryan has his sights set on the future with their next conference game against Ohio State in Columbus. The Badgers have been playing lockdown defense… Read more »

Embedded in a brutally tough stretch of Big Ten play, the road grows no less treacherous for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team Tuesday when they play No. 11 Ohio State at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes (15-4, 5-2 Big Ten) mark the fifth ranked team the Badgers… Read more »

Before the Wisconsin men’s basketball team even stepped on the floor and eluded a third consecutive conference loss by the thinnest of margins against Minnesota, questions resounded about how the Badgers would handle the Gophers’ dominance on the glass. Heading into Wisconsin’s (14-6, 5-2 Big Ten) 45-44 victory over No.… Read more »

It was a wild one at the Kohl Center Saturday afternoon. Wisconsin’s Traevon Jackson received a friendly bounce on a pull-up jumper that beat the shot clock with just four seconds left in the game and Minnesota’s Rodney Williams missed a critical free throw to tie the game in the… Read more »

In another low-scoring half of Big Ten basketball, the Wisconsin Badgers and the No. 12 Minnesota Gophers haven’t offered many highlights in Saturday’s game so far, with the score knotted at 24-24 after the first 20 minutes. Wisconsin used a 13-2 run in the closing minutes of the first half… Read more »

Describing Frank Kaminsky’s role for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team is not a simple task with a singular answer. He is not the energizing sixth man, nor a critical scorer or a lockdown defender. Kaminsky is seeing an average of just 10.5 minutes and 4.6 points per game this season,… Read more »

Many would brand Wisconsin’s 49-47 loss to No 13 Michigan State Tuesday night as Big Ten Basketball in its rawest form — a low-scoring, physical affair with several lengthy scoreless stretches. But for the Badgers, the game slipped away at the free throw line when George Marshall missed the first… Read more »

Bo Ryan and Tom Crean exchanged a fly-by handshake with just a touch of bitterness, Mike Bruesewitz let out a primal howl as he walked into the victorious locker room and, just like that, the Wisconsin basketball team had reversed its fortunes. These marked the first moments after Wisconsin shocked… Read more »

“Grind ‘em out dog fights.” Those are the self-described kind of games Wisconsin redshirt senior Mike Bruesewitz loves to play in. With a collection of players similar to their starting forward, it’s no wonder the Badgers made some noise over the break in the world of college basketball. “There are… Read more »

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Wisconsin found itself ahead by 10 points with just over 10 minutes remaining against the No. 2 team in the nation. They were also on the road in a hostile environment. Reality was bound to set in, and it did. With 10:08 remaining, the Badgers began one… Read more »

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — In a game that featured nine lead changes and the score tied six times, Tuesday night’s game at Assembly Hall looked more like a heavyweight title fight than a Big Ten basketball game. But when push came to shove and the smoke finally settled, Wisconsin (13-4, 4-0)… Read more »

Wisconsin and Indiana are neck and neck after one half of play, with the Hoosiers leading 32-31 heading into the second half. Indiana started things off with a bang after a three-pointer made by a wide open Victor Oladipo. But Wisconsin responded with it’s own sharp-shooting of Frank Kaminsky, as the… Read more »

Wisconsin improved to 176-16 at the Kohl Center under Bo Ryan, including a mark of 86-9 in Big Ten Conference games. The Badgers are 3-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since 2008-09. Wisconsin’s current six-game winning streak is the longest since Jan. 12-31, 2012. The Badgers have… Read more »

If there were any doubts that Wisconsin is a legitimate offensive threat, they were buried within the first 20 minutes of its game with Illinois Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center. The Badgers opened up the game on a 14-0 run thanks to seven quick points from redshirt senior center… Read more »

Just over a year removed from losing to Marquette on its home floor, Wisconsin heads to the Bradley Center in the annual in-state rivalry game. The rivalry for these two teams has developed on and off the court in recent years. On the court, the Golden Eagles (5-2) broke the… Read more »

When Josh Gasser went down with his season-ending ACL injury this year, Badger fans contemplated what player would step up for a team then-devoid of starting experience in the backcourt. Names like redshirt freshman George Marshall and sophomore Traevon Jackson were thrown around as the next man up to become… Read more »

When it rained, it poured for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team Tuesday night. And unfortunately for Nebraska-Omaha, streaky shooting was more than enough for the Badgers to subdue their opponent early in their 86-40 win at the Kohl Center. After Wisconsin (6-3) emerged from an early three-point deficit, a 20-2… Read more »

Sandwiched between games against two 2012 NCAA Tournament qualifiers — California Sunday and in-state rival Marquette Saturday — it may be easy for Wisconsin men’s basketball fans to overlook a Tuesday matchup with Nebraska-Omaha. But after taking down the Golden Bears in dominating 81-56 fashion, the Badgers (5-3) matchup with… Read more »

With a commanding 13-point lead by the halftime break, one notable freshman shouldered much of the offensive load for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team in a 81-56 victory over California. Freshman phenomenon Sam Dekker — who entered Sunday night’s game as the third-highest scoring freshman in the Big Ten —… Read more »

After shooting poorly earlier in the week against Virginia, Wisconsin found a way to right the ship at home Sunday afternoon.Behind a 51.7 percent shooting effort from the field and a 14-0 run in the first half, Wisconsin (5-3) gave California (6-1) its first loss of the year, stomping the… Read more »

In a game that lived up to its billing as a gritty defensive battle, it was precisely Virginia’s defense that carried them to a 60-54 victory over Wisconsin at the Kohl Center Wednesday night. And never was the Cavaliers’ defensive strength more critical than in the final minute of the… Read more »

With the focus of the night pinned heavily on Tony Bennett’s return to the Kohl Center and the victory that followed for the Virginia Cavaliers, Traevon Jackson grabbed his own headline just before tip-off, getting his first career start as point guard for Wisconsin Wednesday night.  Unfortunately for him, the… Read more »

With one costly, season-ending planting of his left foot on the Kohl Center floor, Josh Gasser reshaped the careers of redshirt freshman George Marshall and sophomore Traevon Jackson. When Gasser, the proven floor general, the all-Big Ten defender, tore his ACL in practice Oct. 27, it put the redshirt freshmen… Read more »

Before the two do battle on the hardwood, old friends will reunite and memories will rekindle when Virginia arrives at the Kohl Center Wednesday night. Pacing the sidelines for the Cavaliers will be head coach Tony Bennett, a former assistant at Wisconsin under both his father Dick Bennett and current… Read more »

Head coach Bo Ryan and the Wisconsin men’s basketball team returned to Madison this week after a two-game road trip for the Las Vegas Invitational this past weekend. Before they continue nonconference play against the Virginia Cavaliers Wednesday, Ryan spoke on his team’s travels during his weekly press conference Monday.… Read more »

The Kohl Center was sparsely populated Tuesday night when Wisconsin welcomed Presbyterian to town. But those who made it out had a chance to watch one of the best offensive performances in recent memory for Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan’s program. Ben Brust recorded his third double-double in his last… Read more »

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team may be only three games into the regular season, but its upcoming schedule has made it feel like tournament time for the Badgers. A 73-40 win over Cornell Sunday night kicked off a brutal stretch of four games in seven days for the Badgers, an… Read more »

After a humbling loss to Florida Wednesday night, Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan did everything he could to forget about the troubling defensive lapses in the blowout loss to the Gators. In a 73-40 Badger victory over Cornell (1-3) at the Kohl Center Sunday night, Ryan may not be as… Read more »

While Ryan Evans and Ben Brust recorded double-doubles against Cornell, another solid, efficient performance from a player on the team went largely under the radar for No. 22 Wisconsin in its 73-40 victory Sunday night at the Kohl Center. Fifth-year senior forward/center Jared Berggren quietly propelled the Badgers (2-1) with… Read more »

Five high school seniors officially signed to play for Wisconsin basketball head coach Bo Ryan Thursday, locking up one of the more highly-touted recruiting classes of his tenure. Although Wisconsin is not known for locking up nationally-ranked recruiting classes, the program appears to receive a major boost when these five… Read more »

For Wisconsin basketball forward Ryan Evans, it has always been about the pride. The very pride rattled when coaches cut him from the basketball team as a sophomore in high school, the same quality that brings immense pain, he says, when an opposing player nets even a single basket on… Read more »

1995. That was the last time the Wisconsin men’s basketball team played a ranked team on the road within the first two games of the season. But, as all records are meant to be broken, the No. 22/20 Badgers (1-0) will travel to Gainesville, Fla., to take on the No.… Read more »

Following a 87-47 win against Southeastern Louisiana and starting its season with a 1-0 record, Bo Ryan and his basketball squad are looking forward to playing No. 10 Florida Wednesday. Ryan was asked in his press conference Monday afternoon how Florida being ranked will impact how his team plays and… Read more »

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team started off its 2012-13 campaign in high-flying fashion Sunday, demolishing Southeastern Louisiana 87-47 at the Kohl Center. From the get-go, it was never much of a contest between the Badgers and their visitors from the south. UW opened the game on a 19-0 scoring run… Read more »

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team walked away from the Kohl Center Sunday with a season-opening victory over nonconference foe Southeastern Louisiana, thanks in large part to plenty of help from the bench.  Wisconsin (1-0) thumped Southeastern Louisiana (0-1) 87-47, and UW’s bench players pitched in 34 points and 15 rebounds.… Read more »

Two plays. That’s all it took in practice for the Wisconsin men’s basketball season to be altered. While they occurred on separate occasions and in separate practices, the Badgers will begin their nonconference schedule without two of their returning starters due to a pair of injuries to senior forward Mike… Read more »

After an initial scare in the opening minutes, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team found its rhythm and with it came plenty of scoring in a 96-44 exhibition rout of UW-Oshkosh. The Badgers were in a seven-point hole to their Division III opponent early in the game, but a Ben Brust… Read more »

Meeting with the press for the first time since his injury, Josh Gasser took a seat with his left leg resting on a separate chair. The brace that covers Gasser’s resting leg now serves as a grisly reminder to the Wisconsin guard, teammates and press alike of the season-ending injury… Read more »

It’s about damn time. That was my first thought after checking out the Wisconsin men’s basketball nonconference season for the upcoming season. The cupcakes from the likes of the Southland Conference (Southeastern Louisiana, anyone?) are still present, but the Badgers’ pre-Big Ten schedule looks remarkably strong when compared to those… Read more »

Amid a rising tide of negative reactions across the national media, Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Bo Ryan defended his decision to place restrictions on Jarrod Uthoff’s transfer requests Thursday, saying he used them as a means to get Uthoff to speak with athletics administrators. Earlier Thursday, the UW Athletic… Read more »

It all ended on a botched play. A long, ugly desperation 3-pointer from Jordan Taylor Thursday night in Boston. But one play doesn’t define a season. Although the year ended in a heartbreaking 64-63 defeat at the hands of a more athletic and talented Syracuse team, it’s hard to be… Read more »

BOSTON — The Wisconsin Badgers’ season ended with a heartbreaking thud Thursday night once Jordan Taylor’s last-second heave fell short, but it began with outside expectations that made a Sweet 16 berth seem laughable. Wisconsin, after losing three starters — two in the frontcourt — was tasked with completing a… Read more »

BOSTON — In every way, Wisconsin brought all it had to the Sweet 16. But against a Syracuse Orange team that had battled its way past a bevy of distractions all season long, the Badgers just didn’t have enough. With four players scoring in double figures, top-seeded Syracuse (34-2) rode… Read more »

With a tournament appearance in all 11 years as the head coach of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team, Bo Ryan has made it this far three times before. But he’s only advanced from the Sweet 16 once. Come Thursday evening, he’ll have another chance when he and the rest of… Read more »

Part of the fun in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is the pairing of teams that do not often see each other, creating unique matchups and the clashing of one league’s brand of basketball versus another. The last time Wisconsin crossed paths with Syracuse was in 1999, and the time… Read more »

More than a week after March Madness launched, many Badger fans were left feeling surprisingly pleased with their team’s performance through the first two rounds. After bringing down a sharpshooting Vanderbilt team loaded with seniors — a popular underdog pick for a deep NCAA tournament run — Wisconsin advanced to… Read more »

Days away from playing in its second consecutive Sweet 16, Wisconsin men’s basketball team head coach Bo Ryan seemed relaxed and energetic at his Monday press conference. The Wisconsin Badgers (26-9, 12-6) will face off against an experienced Syracuse Orange team (33-2, 17-1) in a showdown Thursday in Boston. Syracuse,… Read more »

The Wisconsin men’s basketball recruiting class of 2012 entered the Wisconsin State Tournament with eager Badger fans in attendance, waiting to catch a glimpse of the future. But nobody could have expected the performances that would follow. In a full-blown weekend spectacle, Wisconsin recruits Sam Dekker of Sheboygan Area Lutheran… Read more »

The Herald sports editors break down the brackets. … Read more »

Apparently in Wisconsin, it takes a lot to carry regular-season memories into March. The Badgers entered last weekend’s Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis riding a four-game winning streak that saw them play their best offensive ball, which began with a rousing road upset of Ohio State. In their… Read more »

Just after finishing his playing career with the Wisconsin men’s basketball team back in 2004, Freddie Owens had not quite considered himself to be coaching material. Greg Gard, an assistant coach then and the associate head coach now, admits that at the time he did not see Owens, a hero… Read more »

With the Big Ten Tournament under wraps, it’s officially single-elimination time for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team. After their 65-52 loss to the Michigan State Spartans in the semifinals of the conference tournament in Indianapolis, the Badgers earned a No. 4 seed in the East Regional bracket of the NCAA… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s all about scoring runs in basketball. In the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament semifinals between Wisconsin and Michigan State, the teams traded runs twice, but the blitzes the Spartans put on produced more points and lasted longer than the Badgers. The result: a 65-52 defeat for the… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — Most teams would be satisfied with the defensive effort the Wisconsin men’s basketball team set forth against Big Ten Player of the Year Draymond Green Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis. But with Michigan State’s deep frontcourt rotation, Wisconsin wasn’t able to get the result it wanted in the semifinals… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — After reeling off its first win in the Big Ten tournament since 2008, Wisconsin often looked overwhelmed against top-seeded Michigan State in a 65-52 semifinals loss at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Despite an 11-0 run starting at the 15:48 mark in the second half that brought the Badgers (24-9)… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — That a senior guard would lead the Wisconsin men’s basketball team in its Big Ten tournament-opening game against Indiana is not surprising. But the name might raise a few eyebrows. With Jordan Taylor in a funk, Rob Wilson came off the bench to deliver blow after blow to… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — His first Big Ten tournament victory since 2008 wasn’t the only achievement Bo Ryan left the court with Friday, as Wisconsin’s 79-71 win over the Indiana Hoosiers also made him the winningest head coach in program history. With the victory, the Badgers will square off with Michigan State… Read more »

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It’s no secret that the Badgers have struggled in the Big Ten Tournament the past three years, failing to register a single win. On Friday, Wisconsin will seek to end its streak of three consecutive one-and-done conference tournament appearances when it takes on Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis,… Read more »

Through four of the finest seasons a point guard has ever compiled at the University of Wisconsin, there are very few things Jordan Taylor doesn’t have. Individual accolades have come in the form of preseason All-American awards, Big Ten Player of the Week honors and two consecutive all-conference first team… Read more »

In Division I men’s basketball, the phrase “March Madness” is generally reserved for the NCAA tournament. But among the dozen Big Ten coaches, nobody’s kidding anybody. The Madness of March is sure to begin Thursday for the Big Ten in Indianapolis when the 15th edition of the conference tournament tips… Read more »

Through his four years at the University of Wisconsin, Jordan Taylor has been one of the most prolific point guards in program history. On Monday night, Taylor led Wisconsin’s list of five players receiving All-Big Ten honors when he was named to the conference’s first team by the coaches and… Read more »

When the smoke settled Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center, two things came to a close. One, of course, was the 70-56 win by the Wisconsin men’s basketball team team over Illinois. The other was the Kohl Center career of the Badgers’ senior duo of Rob Wilson and Jordan Taylor.… Read more »

The win might not have meant much, but the Wisconsin men’s basketball team sure looked sweet in its regular season curtain call all the same. Powered by four players scoring double-digits, No. 15 Wisconsin cruised past Illinois, 70-56, Sunday at the Kohl Center, its final tune up before the Big… Read more »

When the Badgers graduated the dynamic post scoring duo of Keaton Nankivil (make sure you YouTube his game-winner for his team in Germany) and Jon Leuer (YouTube him blowing by and dunking on Dwight Howard), it looked like opposing teams would find it easier to focus on preseason All-American Jordan… Read more »

After Tuesday night, you probably won’t see any members of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team asking you to use your indoor voice at the Kohl Center. In No. 15 Wisconsin’s (22-8, 11-6) 52-45 win over Minnesota (17-13, 5-12), both UW head coach Bo Ryan and his counterpart, Tubby Smith, were… Read more »

If it were easy, it wouldn’t be a Big Ten conference game. At least, that is how this season has unfolded for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team. Tuesday night, the No. 14 Badgers (22-8, 11-6 Big Ten) fought their way past a horrid first-half shooting effort en route to a… Read more »

With a win Tuesday night, the Wisconsin Badgers will build on a streak Bo Ryan’s built since his first year in Madison — a top-four finish in the Big Ten.The No. 15 Badgers (21-8, 10-6) host the Minnesota Gophers (17-12, 5-11) at the Kohl Center, where a victory will guarantee… Read more »

Things are just beginning to heat up. After falling to eighth-place Iowa Thursday and regrouping for a thrilling 63-60 victory over then-No. 9 Ohio State, the final chances to jockey for a desirable position in time for the Big Ten tournament are well underway for No. 15 Wisconsin. With an… Read more »

If you blinked, you might’ve missed it. In a short three-day span, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team showed just how quickly fortunes can change in this year’s deeper-than-usual Big Ten. After a stunning and disappointing upset at Iowa Thursday night, the No. 16 Badgers (now 21-8 overall and a fourth-place… Read more »

In the world of Big Ten men’s basketball, where any given team has proven vulnerable to any of its peers, there’s no time to get caught up in the pursuit of revenge. With the regular season nearing its end, the denizens of the crowded Big Ten only have a handful… Read more »

In a sport as fickle as basketball, where shot attempts customarily rim in and out, lengthy discussions of inconsistent shooting efforts don’t come often. Sometimes, the shots fall. Other times, they don’t. For the Wisconsin men’s basketball team, coached by the whimsical Bo Ryan, the dialogue rarely extends further than… Read more »

Overshadowed by rookie seasons from Wisconsin’s frontcourt contributors and by the steady presence of Jordan Taylor, Josh Gasser has played his way through a relatively quiet sophomore season. Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center, however, Gasser provided the No. 15 Badgers (20-7, 9-5 Big Ten) a considerable spark with a… Read more »

Penn State men’s basketball head coach Patrick Chambers was afraid a familiar sight would appear at the Kohl Center Sunday against No. 15 Wisconsin. Despite the fact the Badgers hadn’t been shooting well as of late — and even worse at home than on the road — Chambers remained uneasy.… Read more »

After grinding its way through a dozen arduous Big Ten games, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team has firsthand knowledge of the ebb and flow of one of the wildest conference seasons in recent memory. Back on Jan. 3, the Badgers hosted the Michigan State Spartans for their third game of… Read more »

A double-double in the game of basketball is no fluke. They just don’t come along courtesy of serendipity. Even on just a game-by-game basis, the achievement of a double-double requires an unflagging work ethic. But the 17 points and 11 rebounds that forward Ryan Evans earned Feb. 9 against Minnesota… Read more »

The Badgers (19-6, 8-4 Big Ten) have all the motivation they need to win the Big Ten regular season title after a 68-61 overtime road win Thursday against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Minneapolis. Wisconsin was able to open up a considerable lead against its archrival in Thursday’s contest before… Read more »

As is routine, Herald Sports will offer a weekly report card on the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s two most recent games. The No. 22 Badgers (19-6, 8-4 Big Ten) have had plenty of time off recently, last playing on Feb. 9 in a 68-61 overtime win against Minnesota. Before that,… Read more »

Perhaps if the Big Ten weren’t so tight this season, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team could afford more time for rivalry talk. But even with a border battle pending with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (17-7, 5-6) Thursday night at Williams Arena, the No. 21 Badgers (18-6, 7-4) are focused singularly… Read more »

The frontcourt of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team certainly got the message after Saturday’s 58-52 loss to Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ execution inside proved to be one of the biggest differences in the game, with 30 points coming in the paint and 13 off free throws as preseason All-American forward… Read more »

For years, a home game at the Kohl Center spelled a victory for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team. But what was once a fortress has now become shaky ground for a Badger team (18-6 overall) that has already lost four times at home this year. Even though the 58-52 loss… Read more »

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For the first time in Thad Matta’s career, the Buckeyes left Madison with a spring in their step. Now in his eighth year as head coach of No. 3 Ohio State (20-3, 8-2 Big Ten), Matta’s team finally exorcised the demons of the Kohl Center Saturday, defeating No. 20 Wisconsin… Read more »

With Ohio State coming to town, Wisconsin knew its biggest priority would be shutting down All-American forward Jared Sullinger. But that didn’t happen, as the No. 20 Badgers (18-6, 7-4) frequently allowed Sullinger to get the ball in comfortable position in the paint during Saturday afternoon’s 58-52 loss to the… Read more »

This weekend, a burgeoning Big Ten rivalry takes a backseat to more pressing matters. With only one game in the loss column separating the two, No. 19 Wisconsin (18-5, 7-3) hosts No. 3 Ohio State (19-3, 7-2) Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center with plenty more at stake than mere… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will offer a report card on the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s most recent two games. No. 20 Wisconsin (18-5, 7-3) eked out a 52-46 win at Penn State (10-13, 2-8) Tuesday — its sixth consecutive win in the Big Ten. The win moved the Badgers into… Read more »

Three short weeks ago, it looked like this would finally be the year Bo Ryan could not pull off another miracle and have his team vie for a Big Ten title. But Wisconsin’s well-documented turnaround not only has the Badgers back in the rankings at No. 19/20, but also just a half-game out… Read more »

Where the Wisconsin men’s basketball team once peered up from near the bottom of the Big Ten standings, it now finds itself looking down on most of its peers after just three weeks’ time. The Badgers (17-5 overall) went from 1-3 in conference play to a 6-3 mark that leaves… Read more »

Halfway through the Big Ten season, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team has found its groove. After losing three of their first four conference games, including three straight at one point, the Badgers have now won their last five in a stretch of contests that wasn’t consistently pretty, but rewarding nonetheless.… Read more »

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If Indiana forward Cody Zeller wasn’t planted firmly in his seat along the Hoosier bench Thursday night, then you can bet he was on the floor being harassed by Wisconsin’s defenders. Namely, forward Jared Berggren and, to a lesser degree, Mike Bruesewitz.  Prior to Thursday’s nights 57-50 Wisconsin (17-5, 6-3… Read more »

Indiana hadn’t won in Madison in 10 consecutive meetings. Against a Wisconsin team rolling after rediscovering the swagger consistently present on its home court, that statistic continued to grow Thursday night. The No. 25 Badgers (17-5, 6-3 Big Ten) won their fifth-consecutive game after overcoming a weak first-half shooting effort… Read more »

Welcome to the Herald Sports live blog! I’m Mike Fiammetta, and I’m here at the Kohl Center with Herald Sports editor Elliot Hughes.We’re set for what’s sure to be a fantastic night of hoops as the No. 25 Badgers (16-5, 5-3) are set to host the No. 16 Indiana… Read more »

Once again rolling, the Wisconsin Badgers find themselves situated to finally make a statement in the Big Ten as the second half of conference play nears. Riding a four-game win streak, the No. 25 Badgers (16-5, 5-3) will host the No. 16 Indiana Hoosiers (16-4, 4-4) Thursday night at the… Read more »

Every week this season, Herald Sports will look back on the previous two games of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team and offer a report card on the Badgers’ performance. Wisconsin, sitting with a lowly 1-3 Big Ten record about two weeks ago, continued its resurgence on Sunday, winning its fourth… Read more »

In a deeper-than-usual Big Ten this season, the Wisconsin Badgers have been challenged early and often through the first seven games of their conference slate. Though they were riding a three-game winning streak entering Sunday’s game at Illinois, the Badgers initially dropped three of their first four games in Big… Read more »

Overall, it’s been a rude introduction to the conference season for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team in 2011-12. Under head coach Bo Ryan, Wisconsin isn’t accustomed to beginning the conference season with an uphill climb, as the Badgers found themselves to be 1-3 against Big Ten foes for the first… Read more »

Big Ten Men’s Basketball The conference became incredibly hard to decipher Hopefully, you got some nice rest over winter break. For college basketball fans, a fresh mind’s certainly needed to decipher the Big Ten. While you were out — with all stats as of Jan. 21 — Wisconsin beat conference… Read more »

If there’s one thing opposing defenses have learned about the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s offense, it’s that there’s plenty to worry about outside of point guard Jordan Taylor. The Badgers’ most recent foe, Nevada-Las Vegas, applied some heavy pressure on the preseason All-American in Wisconsin’s most recent game, a 62-51… Read more »

It’s a big week for Wisconsin sports as the men’s basketball team faces off against Kennesaw State at the Kohl Center and the men’s hockey team plays host to #1 Minnesota Duluth. Badger Herald sports editors Mike Fiammetta and Kelly Erickson will fill you in! Press Conference video by: Mike… Read more »

When the shots didn’t fall in the hoop Saturday for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team, they more often than not fell into the hands of a waiting Badger beneath the rim. Then, sometime later, the ball would fall through the hoop for UW. No. 14/16 Wisconsin (8-2) took down Nevada-Las… Read more »

With Jordan Taylor ice-cold and the Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels mounting a second-half comeback, Ben Brust continued his stunning emergence as a legitimate scoring threat off the bench. In Wisconsin’s (8-2) 62-51 win over the UNLV Rebels (8-2) Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center, Brust led all scorers with 25 points… Read more »

After snapping its two-game losing skid Wednesday night, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team faces one of the two nonconference teams that handed the Badgers a loss last year. Fresh off a 70-42 rout of in-state rival UW-Green Bay Wednesday night, Wisconsin (7-2) will host the Nevada-Las Vegas Runnin’ Rebels (9-1)… Read more »

After seeing its perfect start to the season muddied by two consecutive losses, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team got back on track Wednesday night. Despite another weak first-half showing, the Badgers (7-2) shot 57.7 percent from the floor in the second half of a 70-42 win over UW-Green Bay (4-5)… Read more »

After seeing its inside game outperformed in its last two contests, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team reestablished a presence in the paint Wednesday night that was hard for its opponents to apprehend. It may not have been an all-around successful game down low for Wisconsin (7-2), which ended its two… Read more »

The state of Wisconsin will dish out its next opponent for the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team Wednesday night as it welcomes its northern neighbor, UW-Green Bay, to the Kohl Center. The No. 14/16 Badgers (6-2), after a near-spotless six-game start to their season, hit a two-game bump last… Read more »

After failing their first two tests of the season, there’s little discouragement coming from the top dog of the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team. The No. 14/16 Badgers (6-2) dropped two consecutive games against their first ranked opponents of the season by a combined 10 points last week after… Read more »

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The Wisconsin men’s basketball team snapped a 23-home-game winning streak Saturday in a frustrating 54-61 loss to its biggest in-state rival, the No. 16 Marquette Golden Eagles. Despite taking Marquette’s (7-0) lead down to one point at the 10:45 mark in the second half, No. 7/9 Wisconsin (6-2) was never… Read more »

In a game where both teams struggled to make a bucket, Marquette benefited from shooting 10 more times than the Badgers. The Marquette inside presence was felt all night, as the Golden Eagles (7-0) outrebounded the Badgers (6-2) 44-32. Even on the rebounds Wisconsin did bring in, Marquette was at… Read more »

Editor’s Note: This scouting report is courtesy of Mike Nelson, sports editor at the Marquette Tribune. Mike was kind enough to analyze the Golden Eagles for us, and we sent him our scouting report in exchange. You can also check out the “Five Point Play” we filled out for the… Read more »

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - With Wisconsin up 36-31 with 11:58 remaining in the game, the PA system at the Dean Dome piped in the Mission: Impossible theme for a game on the JumboTron. It could accurately describe what many felt was No. 9 Wisconsin’s mission Wednesday in one of the… Read more »

It’s a big week for Wisconsin sports as the football team prepares for the inaugural Big 10 Championship Game, and the men’s basketball team heads to North Carolina to play the #5 ranked Tar Heels. Badger Herald sports editors Mike Fiammetta and Elliot Hughes will fill you in!Badger Sports Press… Read more »

Through their first six games, the Wisconsin Badgers have been dominant. Blowout wins against the likes of Kennesaw State, Bradley and other non-ranked teams have yielded a 33.8-point average margin of victory for Wisconsin. But the Badgers’ schedule, however, is about to get significantly tougher. Wednesday night, the No. 7/9… Read more »

Just six games in, the Wisconsin basketball team is finally getting the national respect it usually lacks at this point in the year. There is only one problem: They are not that good. Sure, the Badgers are 6-0 and have taken down each of their opponents by no less than… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team may have won the Chicago Invitational Challenge just days ago, but during head coach Bo Ryan’s weekly press conference Monday, all anybody cared to talk about was a different challenge. For the 2011 Big Ten/ACC Challenge, No. 7 Wisconsin is preparing to hit… Read more »

Badger Herald sports editors Mike Fiammetta and Elliot Hughes bring you the latest on the Badgers as the football team hosts Penn State, looking to reach the inaugural Big Ten Championship game. UW men’s basketball also looks to go 4-0 against UKMC Tuesday night.… Read more »

As the Wisconsin men’s basketball team gears up for the Chicago Invitational Challenge and takes on three nonconference teams in the next five days, there will be more on the line than just another non-conference win for head coach Bo Ryan. With his next victory (which could come as soon… Read more »

It took a little while to warm up, but the No. 13 Wisconsin men’s basketball team dished out a 69-33 home victory over Wofford Saturday night with half of the team’s shots falling on target. Sophomore guard Josh Gasser led all scorers with 16 points, hitting five of six shots… Read more »

Hear the latest news about Badger football, basketball and hockey from the Badger Herald’s Mike Fiammetta, Elliot Hughes and Kelly Erickson!Recap/Preview Nov. 11 - Nov. 20… Read more »

Two games into the 2011-12 season, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team has averaged a 40.5-point margin of victory and features a leading scorer who was essentially unknown last year. The former is likely to fade, but the latter seems intent on sticking. Sophomore guard Ben Brust, after averaging 0.7 points… Read more »

It was not as graceful an ending as the Wisconsin men’s basketball team would have preferred, but Wednesday night nevertheless brought the Badgers its second win in as many games. In a 68-41 victory over Colgate (1-1), No. 13/14 Wisconsin (2-0) finished the evening by shooting 36.7 percent from the… Read more »

Walking into the Kohl Center is hard enough, even when the Wisconsin men’s basketball team isn’t making nearly 59 percent of its shots. Colgate University will venture inside the arena today to tip off against No. 14 Wisconsin, who appeared to do no wrong in its season opener against Kennesaw… Read more »

Though the chance of an NBA season seems dubious, at least there is college basketball to get excited about. The Wisconsin men’s basketball team pleased fans statewide with an impressive season opening win Saturday afternoon by overwhelming an inexperienced Kennesaw State team 85-31 at the Kohl Center. A balanced attack… Read more »

Once again, an early-season game at the Kohl Center finished with a score more apt for a Badger football game than a matchup on the hardwood. The No. 14 Wisconsin Badger men’s basketball team (1-0) opened its regular season with an 85-31 victory over the Kennesaw State Owls (0-1) Saturday… Read more »

After 10 of the most consistent years in college basketball, the Wisconsin Badgers are undergoing a considerable makeover as the curtain draws on the 2011 season. Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil, two four-year mainstays of head coach Bo Ryan’s rock-solid program, are gone. With them, they take Wisconsin’s leading scorer… Read more »

One year ago, Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Bo Ryan faced the prospect of replacing his entire backcourt, which was worth 168 starts between just two players. Players leave every year in the college game, but this past offseason demanded an even “taller” order, as Ryan’s entire frontcourt graduated, taking… Read more »

When an entire frontcourt departs, a few aches and pains are expected to occur in the ensuing transition for any college basketball team. Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan held his weekly press conference Monday, two days after his Badgers turned out an 80-54 exhibition win over UW-Stevens Point. Ryan echoed… Read more »

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team broke the 2010-11 season’s ice with an 80-54 victory in Saturday’s exhibition game against UW-Stevens Point at the Kohl Center. Preseason All-American guard Jordan Taylor paced the Badger offense with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field along with seven assists, while two reserve… Read more »

Just like that, Wisconsin basketball is back. While much of Badger Nation remains strapped in for what figures to be a wild finish to the Big Ten football season, the UW men’s basketball team will get an early start on their season Saturday night in an exhibition game against UW-Stevens… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin football team will entertain Nebraska for the Cornhuskers’ first Big Ten game Oct. 1, and its men’s basketball brethren will follow suit two months later. The Big Ten announced its 2011-12 men’s basketball schedule Wednesday, and the Badgers will travel to Lincoln to face Nebraska Dec.… Read more »

After four stellar years at Wisconsin, Jon Leuer has finally made it to the NBA. The 6-10, 228-pound Orono, Minn., native was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 10th pick in the second round (No. 40 overall) of last month’s NBA Draft. Leuer was gracious enough to take some… Read more »

Following one of the most memorable years in University of Wisconsin sports history, it seems somewhat shortsighted to name one player “Player of the Year.” On the gridiron, the Badgers made their first Rose Bowl since 2001; while on the hardwood, UW reached its first Sweet 16 since 2008. Here,… Read more »

It was perfect. The underdog had the No. 1 team in the nation at home, a place where those rankings haven’t mattered much. It was time to make a statement, to let the rest of the country know Wisconsin was for real. Mission accomplished — twice. As soon as the… Read more »

In an effort to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis, Wisconsin sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz shaved his trademark red curly hair Wednesday during “Wake Up Wisconsin” on Madison’s WKOW-TV. Bruesewitz partnered with the National MS Society to raise money and awareness for those with multiple sclerosis. The goal is to raise… Read more »

HOUSTON (AP) — The only thing that could stop Kemba Walker and Connecticut’s amazing run was the final buzzer. On a night when the massive arena felt like a dusty old gym, UConn made Butler look like the underdog it really was, winning the national championship Monday night with an… Read more »

Aside from fans of Wisconsin men’s basketball, expectations for the 2010-11 Badgers were once again tempered. Wisconsin, which various media outlets picked to finish outside the conference’s top four, finished with a 25-9 overall record, including a 13-5 Big Ten mark to finish in third place. After a disappointingly early… Read more »

Every week of this basketball season, Herald Sports has looked back at the Wisconsin Badgers’ most recent games and offered a report card grading the team’s performance. Now, the Badgers’ season is over after Thursday’s 61-54 Sweet 16 loss to the Butler Bulldogs (26-9, 13-5 Horizon). Wisconsin finished the season… Read more »

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Matt Howard and Butler are starting to make this look a little bit easier. After narrowly surviving its first two NCAA tournament games by margins of two points or less, Butler led by 20 points before holding on for a 61-54 victory over Wisconsin on Thursday… Read more »

Try as they might, it was just too little, too late for Wisconsin. After 35 minutes of basketball that can only be described as ugly, the Badgers (25-9, 13-5 Big Ten) used the final five minutes of Thursday night’s Sweet 16 matchup with the Butler Bulldogs (26-9, 13-5 Horizon) to,… Read more »

For the first time since 2008, the Wisconsin Badgers are back in the Sweet 16. Now all that stands in their way of a trip to the Elite Eight is last year’s national runner-up — the Butler Bulldogs. After dispatching the fifth-seeded Kansas State Wildcats, the fourth-seeded Badgers (25-8, 13-5… Read more »

Mike Bruesewitz is grateful. Not grateful just to be playing in the Sweet 16 Thursday, though that’s certainly a milestone in its own right. Not grateful just to be playing arguably the best basketball of his career in fourth-seeded Wisconsin’s ongoing NCAA tournament run. Mike Bruesewitz is grateful just to… Read more »

With a Sweet 16 appearance on tap for Thursday, every game earned for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team will continue to magnify on the national scene. However, head coach Bo Ryan doesn’t expect his team to get too carried away with the escalating stakes. As Wisconsin gets ready for eighth-seeded… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will look back at the last two games of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team and offer a report card grading the team’s performance. The Badgers’ season remains alive and well after two encouraging victories in the NCAA Tournament have earned them their fourth Sweet 16 berth… Read more »

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Jordan Taylor couldn’t hit a thing, missing open shots and contested ones from just about everywhere on the court. He did so much more when it mattered, though, and Wisconsin is headed back to the round of 16 because of him. Taylor hit two big free… Read more »

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Wisconsin brought its offense out of the deep freeze into the desert, and the thaw was remarkable.Jon Leuer scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half and the Badgers methodically dispatched Belmont 72-58 on Thursday night, the Badgers’ fifth consecutive NCAA tournament-opening victory. Jordan… Read more »

The madness has started. After a brief trip to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament that likely drove quite a few of their fans mad, the Wisconsin Badgers (23-8, 13-5 Big Ten) were awarded the No. 4 seed in the Southeast Region of the 2011 NCAA Tournament. The Badgers will… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS – During Friday’s game four of the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, the temperature inside the Conseco Fieldhouse dropped severely. Three-seeded Wisconsin and sixth-seeded Penn State combined for a shooting percentage of .311 in a 36-33 Nittany Lion victory. The Badgers, who are constantly noted for their slow-paced offense,… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — The first was half was so ugly that the second half was likely bound to be as well, simply by association. That was the case for the third-seeded Wisconsin Badgers (23-8) Friday night, as their struggles away from Madison continued in a 36-33 loss to the sixth-seeded Penn… Read more »

March is here, and the Big Ten is ready to jump into the Madness. With conference tournaments already underway, the 14th edition of the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament begins today in the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. With many bracket pundits predicting as many as six Big Ten teams… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports looks back on the prior week’s games for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team and assesses UW’s performance. The Badgers, now ranked No. 13 in both polls, finished the regular season with a 23-7 (13-5 Big Ten) record. Their final game of the season was a 93-65… Read more »

Well, that certainly was not how Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan wanted his team to end the regular season. The Badgers head to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament this weekend, fresh off a 28-point shellacking compliments of No. 1 Ohio State on Sunday. The Badgers were helpless against… Read more »

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the midst of a raucous locker room after No. 1 Ohio State’s 93-65 payback victory over 10th-ranked Wisconsin, Jon Diebler said he was sorry to his teammates. “I apologize for missing that one,” he said. Everyone laughed. Diebler lived up to his “3-bler” nickname Sunday by… Read more »

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Jordan Taylor saw everything slipping away. Three of his Wisconsin teammates were on the bench with three fouls, and Indiana was charging back from an eight-point deficit. So he took over. Taylor scored a career-high 39 points and almost single-handedly stopped Indiana’s second-half charge, leading No. 10… Read more »

Another month, another date with No. 1 Ohio State. The No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers (23-6, 13-4) will travel to Columbus, Ohio, Sunday afternoon, and in doing so they will face the Buckeyes (28-2, 15-2) for the third time this year. The first took place on the gridiron last October, and… Read more »

With all but two games played, the No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers have provided the nation a nearly complete view of what kind of team they are. Home games at the Kohl Center, where UW is 16-0, have posed few problems for the Badgers. On the road, however, the story has… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will look back on the last two games of the 10th-ranked Wisconsin men’s basketball team and offer a report card. On the road against Michigan last Wednesday, freshman guard Josh Gasser banked in a three-point buzzer beater to hand the stunned Wolverines a 53-52 loss. Wisconsin… Read more »

Against the Northwestern Wildcats Sunday evening, seniors scored the Wisconsin Badgers’ first seven points. Senior forwards Jon Leuer and Tim Jarmusz led UW with six rebounds, while Leuer led all scorers with 26 points. All in all, Wisconsin’s Senior Day performance was fitting. “I think we did a good job… Read more »

Before Bo Ryan arrived at Wisconsin to coach the men’s basketball team, a perfect home record hadn’t been attained since the 1929-30 season. On Sunday night, Ryan notched his third perfect home record with the Badgers in his 10 seasons in Madison. Junior guard Jordan Taylor and senior forward Keaton… Read more »

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — For a former high school quarterback, Josh Gasser should be used to getting hit from his blindside. Maybe that’s what made the 3-point heave, the ensuing bear hug and takedown from teammate Jordan Taylor so easy to handle. “I told him I was taking him down… Read more »

Fans have always wanted big things from Keaton Nankivil. The senior forward for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team has the size, standing 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, the mobility and the perimeter marksmanship. As a native of Madison and a former prep star at Madison Memorial High School, he’s even got… Read more »

Before Bo Ryan took the head coaching reins at Wisconsin, the Badgers had won 19 games just four times in 103 seasons. Under Ryan, UW has reached that mark — or higher — in each of his 10 years as head coach. Wisconsin also reached its fifth-consecutive 20-win season after… Read more »

With less than three weeks until Selection Sunday, Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan knows that his team is sitting pretty for the NCAA Tournament with 20 wins so far this season. He also realizes that several of the Badgers’ next opponents are looking for a signature victory to improve… Read more »

At home in the Kohl Center this season, the Wisconsin Badgers are a perfect 15-0. Away from it, they’re just 5-6. Any sort of rhyme or reason for that disparity has been hard to find for the Badgers (20-6, 10-4), who nevertheless rebounded from a taxing loss at Purdue Wednesday… Read more »

As has been common this year, Jon Leuer stood at the top of the scoring performances in Wisconsin’s 76-66 victory over Penn State Sunday evening. That game-leading 22 points tied with one other player though, and it wasn’t point guard Jordan Taylor. It was Keaton Nankivil. For just the third… Read more »

On Valentine’s Day, Jordan Taylor sauntered into the Kohl Center media room for his scheduled press availability with a smile on his face and a certain spring in his step. Taylor strolled to the table where interviews are typically conducted, humming some indiscernible tune as he sat down and waited… Read more »

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — It was the perfect snapshot of another Mackey Arena head-scratcher that continues to plague the University of Wisconsin like an itch it simply can’t scratch. When senior Jon Leuer, who did his best to will the 10th-ranked Badgers into a game it seemingly shot itself out… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will take a look back and assess the latest performances of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team. On Saturday, the No. 10 Badgers began with a thrilling come-from-behind victory against No. 1 Ohio State, 71-67. But the euphoria didn’t last long as the Badgers dropped their fifth… Read more »

In the world of college basketball, there’s never enough time to bask in the euphoria of a win. The No. 10 Wisconsin men’s basketball team (19-5, 9-3) is forced to put the delight of upsetting then-No. 1 Ohio State at the Kohl Center as they hit the road to clash… Read more »

Of the 17,230 fans in attendance Saturday, many rushed onto the Kohl Center court after the Wisconsin men’s basketball team upset previously undefeated Ohio State 71-67. Forward Jon Leuer and point guard Jordan Taylor celebrated as well, riding on the shoulders of their peers. Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan… Read more »

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Moments after Ohio State lost its first game of the season Saturday to Wisconsin, Buckeyes center Jared Sullinger posted on his Twitter account that a fan spit in his face.The spit has since hit the fan.Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan came out in defense of the Badgers’… Read more »

It was déjà vu for Badger fans on Saturday. The No. 13/14 Wisconsin men’s basketball (19-5, 9-3) team brought down previously unbeaten — and No. 1 ranked — Ohio State (24-1, 11-1), 71-67 at the Kohl Center on Saturday after marching back from a 15-point deficit in the second half.… Read more »

If it keeps going like this, Ohio State might not want to return to Wisconsin. Following in the steps of their gridiron peers, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team (19-5, 9-3) sent their fans storming down to the court after upsetting the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (24-1, 11-1) 71-67 Saturday… Read more »

Round One came in the middle of last October, when No. 1 Ohio State carried its perfect 6-0 record into Camp Randall Stadium, only to leave shocked and awed following a 31-18 Wisconsin football victory. Round Two comes Saturday afternoon, but on the hardwood of the Kohl Center. The No.… Read more »

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Jon Leuer stood outside the visitor’s locker room with two red scratches down his neck, Tim Jarmusz was dripping in perspiration and Jordan Taylor walked in a daze toward the team bus. It was the perfect snapshot of a bewildered group of individuals who were instrumental… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will look back at the most recent week of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team and assess the Badgers’ performance. Last week, Wisconsin — now ranked No. 13 in the AP Top 25 and No. 14 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll — endured a second-half surge… Read more »

Nobody likes to leave home, but once again the No. 13/14 Wisconsin men’s basketball team will be tested with another road trip — this time in Iowa City. The Badgers are 13-0 this season at the Kohl Center, winning by an average of 20.4 points per game. Stretching into last… Read more »

Less than 24 hours after his team dismantled Big Ten rival Michigan State, even Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Bo Ryan knew his team’s impressive victory was not the triumph most in attendance were focused on during his Monday press conference. After fielding questions about his squad’s game against Iowa… Read more »

Jordan Taylor might have scored just north of 36 percent of Wisconsin’s points against Michigan State Sunday, but it’s not like he carried the team. He was just the crown jewel in a near-flawless team effort. In the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s 82-56 victory, Taylor — for the second time… Read more »

It may have been Super Bowl Sunday, but for two hours of the afternoon, the No. 18/19 Wisconsin Badgers (17-5, 7-3) made a legitimate attempt to steal the attention of their state. Thanks to a lights-out shooting effort and a nearly flawless performance from point guard Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin routed… Read more »

On Tuesday, the Purdue men’s basketball team entered the Kohl Center in great need of a win after losing three out of its last six games. The Boilermakers came away empty-handed. Next in line is Michigan State (13-9, 5-5), a team that has shocked the college basketball world with its… Read more »

After enduring season-long questions regarding scoring balance, the No. 18/19 Wisconsin Badgers (16-5, 6-3) rode the contributions of some more unheralded players in their 66-59 victory over the No. 10/11 Purdue Boilermakers (18-5, 7-3) Tuesday night at the Kohl Center. The stars still carried Wisconsin — Jon Leuer contributed his… Read more »

The blizzard that roared outside the Kohl Center may have held back a sizeable amount of the audience on Tuesday night, but that didn’t mean the crowd couldn’t be as loud as ever. The No. 18/19 Wisconsin men’s basketball team (16-5, 6-3) fought for a 66-59 victory over No. 10/11… Read more »

In their first game against the Purdue Boilermakers last year, the Wisconsin Badgers lost star forward Jon Leuer to a broken wrist. In the next, the Boilermakers came out on top in a physically exhausting Big Ten matchup. Tuesday night at the Kohl Center, No. 18/19 Wisconsin (15-5, 5-3) will… Read more »

No amount of snow will stop Wisconsin from welcoming Purdue to the Kohl Center. The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team may not have had the most successful weekend after falling to Penn State, but in his weekly press conference Monday head coach Bo Ryan was solely focused on Tuesday’s… Read more »

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Talor Battle scored 20 of his 22 points after halftime and Penn State turned up the defensive pressure in the second half to upset No. 17 Wisconsin 56-52 on Saturday. Jeff Brooks had 12 points and Andrew Jones grabbed 14 rebounds to the help the… Read more »

Back in the preseason, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s Jan. 29 meeting at Penn State seemed like a friendly one, just as Big Ten play would begin to heat up with February beginning. At that time, not many people expected senior forward Keaton Nankivil to be referring to the matchup… Read more »

Mike Bruesewitz isn’t really a scorer. He doesn’t dominate games or grab the headlines, and he certainly doesn’t make many jaws drop or produce many “wow” moments. So what, besides a 6-foot-6, 220-pound sophomore forward, is he? What does he contribute to the No. 15/17 Wisconsin Badgers, winners of three… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will look back at the last week of the No. 15 Wisconsin men’s basketball team and offer an assessment for the Badgers’ latest exploits. This past week, the Badgers topped Indiana at home 69-60 before thumping Northwestern 78-46 for their first conference road win of the… Read more »

After a dominant performance Sunday resulted in a blowout win over Northwestern, Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan was full of praise for his athletes at his Monday press conference, particularly freshman Josh Gasser. Gasser, who appeared to be out of favor with Ryan after playing a diminished role over the… Read more »

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Jon Leuer scored 19 points to lead a balanced attack and No. 18 Wisconsin rolled to a 78-46 Big Ten victory over Northwestern on Sunday. Keaton Nankivil had 16 points and Jordan Taylor added 14 as the Badgers (15-4, 5-2 Big Ten) won their third straight… Read more »

After the hot-handed Illinois men’s basketball team was cooled down to 30.2 percent shooting from the field at the Kohl Center, not many would have thought Indiana could have entered Wisconsin’s arena without getting rattled. So much for that. Coming into Thursday night’s game with the Big Ten’s second-best field… Read more »

In the first half of Thursday night’s showdown with Indiana (10-9, 1-5), the No. 17/18 Wisconsin Badgers (14-4, 4-2) faced a lights-out Hoosiers attack. Fortunately for the Badgers, they had Jordan Taylor to carry the load — and not just for the first half, as UW prevailed 69-60 at the… Read more »

Last week, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team sized up two of the Big Ten’s best teams in No. 18 Michigan State and No. 22 Illinois, and escaped with a 1-1 record. Now, with matchups against Indiana (10-9, 1-4) and Northwestern (12-5, 3-4) approaching, head coach Bo Ryan and the Badgers… Read more »

Ohio State (18-0, 5-0): Once again, the Buckeyes are on top of the Big Ten. After beginning the season as the No. 5 team in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, Ohio State has surged to No. 2 in both the coaches poll and the AP Top 25. OSU’s first test,… Read more »

Saturday afternoon against Illinois, the No. 21 Wisconsin Badgers (13-4, 3-2) avoided the dreaded early-season Big Ten losing streak. Thursday night against Indiana (10-8, 1-4), they’ll look to build their first win streak of the conference season. After a tough overtime loss at Michigan State Jan. 11, Wisconsin used a… Read more »

Thus far in 2011, the No. 21 Wisconsin Badgers (13-4, 3-2) have their own version of The Big Three. In Saturday afternoon’s 76-66 win over No. 16 Illinois, Jon Leuer, Jordan Taylor and Keaton Nankivil scored a combined 62 points, more than 80 percent of the Badgers’ total scoring output.… Read more »

Coming into Saturday’s matchup against No. 21 Wisconsin, No. 16 Illinois brandished the nation’s 13th-best field goal percentage, at 48.8. At the Kohl Center, though, that number dropped to 30.2, as the Fighting Illini (13-5, 3-2) dropped their second straight game, 76-66. The Badgers (13-4, 3-2) have not allowed an… Read more »

If you’ve ever walked past Brett Valentyn on campus during a weekday afternoon, you probably didn’t give him much of a second glance. You probably didn’t peg him to be a college athlete, much less a member of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team, a program that has accepted 12 consecutive… Read more »

Every week Herald Sports will take a look back at the latest week of the Wisconsin men’s basketball season and offer a report card on the team’s performance. The Badgers just completed a three-game series against the state of Wisconsin’s other Division I basketball programs. Last Wednesday, Wisconsin defeated UW-Milwaukee… Read more »

Three intra-state rivals, three victories. That’s how the Wisconsin Badgers (9-2) finished their six-day series against in-state teams after Monday night’s 70-56 defeat of the Green Bay Phoenix (4-7) at the Kohl Center. Forward Jon Leuer led all players with 22 points while also contributing eight rebounds and three assists,… Read more »

For the fandom of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team, a question mark surrounds two important details. Who is going to be the team’s reliable third scoring option? And who will then pick up the slack if Jordan Taylor or Jon Leuer have an off night? Both questions received encouraging answers… Read more »

MILWAUKEE — Just as Wisconsin’s football program has secured a Rose Bowl berth by playing its prototypical style on the gridiron, the men’s basketball team (8-2) took down the Marquette Golden Eagles (7-3) Saturday afternoon by sticking to the formula patented by head coach Bo Ryan in his nine-plus seasons… Read more »

MILWAUKEE — Almost a month ago, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team failed to squeeze out a victory at UNLV in the closing minutes due to a costly turnover. In its first true road game since then, it was Wisconsin that forced the untimely error against in-state rival Marquette, all en… Read more »

In this year’s battle for intra-state domination, the Wisconsin Badgers are (7-2) 1-0 after routing Milwaukee Wednesday night. Game two, though, comes Saturday afternoon on the road against a much tougher Marquette Golden Eagles squad (7-2). Against the Panthers, the Badgers relied on their defense to overcome a somewhat sloppy… Read more »

In each of his last three seasons at Port Washington High School, Wisconsin freshman guard Josh Gasser averaged a double-double with points and rebounds. His senior year, Gasser was the Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year and an AP first-team all-state selection after averaging 23.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.8… Read more »

Heading into Wednesday night’s men’s basketball intrastate affair with UW-Milwaukee, there was one particular player the Wisconsin defense put in its crosshairs. Forward Anthony Hill, who led the Panthers with 14.9 points and 6.18 rebounds per game prior to yesterday night’s matchup, needed to have a quiet day for the… Read more »

It wasn’t pretty, but the Badgers will take the win. In the first of a three-game series against intrastate teams that will span over the next five days, the Wisconsin Badgers (7-2) routed the UW-Milwaukee Panthers (4-6) 61-40 Wednesday night at the Kohl Center. Jon Leuer led all scorers with… Read more »

Although one team wears its name on the front of its jersey, the state of Wisconsin just isn’t big enough for four Division I men’s basketball teams. Starting today, Wisconsin begins a three-game series — to be played over the course of six days — against its in-state foes, starting… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will review various aspects of the past week for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team. Last Wednesday, Wisconsin helped its conference claim victory in the Big Ten – ACC Challenge after topping North Carolina State, 87-48. On Saturday, Wisconsin won their second straight game against South Dakota,… Read more »

In the midst of Madison’s first snowstorm of the year, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team buried South Dakota on Saturday afternoon, 76-61, having never given up the lead. The Badger’s didn’t lose much heat from their ‘can’t miss’ attitude last Wednesday against N.C. State, finishing with 45.3 percent of shots… Read more »

The superhero set the tone early, and the sidekick finished it late. Together, they combined for 49 points, 20 rebounds and 11 assists. That was the story for the Wisconsin Badgers (5-2) Saturday afternoon, as forward Jon Leuer scored 20 of his game-high (and career-high) 29 points in the first… Read more »

Any questions the Wisconsin Badgers (5-2) had regarding their offensive ability were probably answered in Wednesday night’s 87-48 smackdown of N.C. State. So now, the question becomes, can they keep it going? The Badgers will get their first chance to answer that question Saturday afternoon, as the South Dakota Coyotes… Read more »

Heading into the latest edition of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team was longing for a consistent night of shooting. In their 87-48 victory over North Carolina State, that’s exactly what the Badgers got. After its holiday weekend at the Old Spice Invitational, where over the course… Read more »

En route to a second-place finish at last weekend’s Old Spice Classic in Orlando, the Wisconsin Badgers failed to score above 65 points in their three games. But Wednesday night against North Carolina State (4-2) in a Big Ten/ACC Challenge showdown, Wisconsin (5-2) exploded in an 87-48 rout at the… Read more »

A young college basketball season is all about flexing muscles and showing one’s teeth, and today, conference bragging rights are up for grabs as the Big Ten–ACC Challenge continues. The Big Ten is coming off of its first ever victory in the Challenge last season, highlighted by Wisconsin’s upset against… Read more »

After a 4-2 start to the season, Herald Sports is taking a look at the Wisconsin men’s basketball team and evaluating different aspects of the team’s early performance in the Old Spice Classic. The Badgers wrapped up a second place finish over the Thanksgiving weekend in the tournament held in… Read more »

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Few people who suffered through Wisconsin’s offensively challenged victory a day earlier would have believed the run the Badgers put together Friday. Jon Leuer scored 18 points and Wisconsin used a 26-2 second-half surge to beat Boston College 65-55 in the second round… Read more »

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Jon Leuer scored 16 points and Josh Gasser added 12 as Wisconsin overcame a lackluster start to beat Manhattan 50-35 Thursday in the opening round of the Old Spice Classic.Leuer had seven points during a 12-4 run that put Wisconsin up 31-16 with 15… Read more »

In the sports world, Thanksgiving may best be known for time spent on the gridiron, but the hardwood will also see its fair share of action over the holiday weekend. The Wisconsin men’s basketball team travels to Orlando, Fla. for the fifth edition of the Old Spice Classic, which tips… Read more »

As starts to seasons go, it doesn’t really get much better than what the No. 25 Wisconsin Badgers (2-0) have experienced thus far. In two games against Prairie View A&M and North Dakota, Wisconsin won by a combined 184-108. The 92 points per game the Badgers are currently averaging is… Read more »

Clearly, Bo Ryan is generating some competition for time on the hardwood. The head coach of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team once again saw excellent production from his bench as the Badgers rolled over the North Dakota Fighting Sioux 85-53 (1-1) Tuesday night to improve to 2-0. Once again, in… Read more »

Tuesday night, forward Jon Leuer was Wisconsin’s leading scorer — that’s no surprise. The strong yet nimble 6-10, 228-pound senior is UW’s top scorer, averaging 15.4 points per game last season and 23.0 through two games this season. Leuer’s game-high 22 points Tuesday came on six-of-10 shooting, including an impressive… Read more »

After the Wisconsin football team erupted for 83 points last Saturday versus Indiana, there may have been just a little pressure on the men’s basketball team to make sure they weren’t outscored. But after two high-scoring exhibition games, the Badgers prevailed in that regard two nights ago in the season… Read more »

Heading into the 2010-11 men’s basketball season, fans have been eager to see just how the Wisconsin Badgers were going to replace the scoring of former guards Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon. And after the team’s season opener last night against Prairie View A&M at the Kohl Center, which Wisconsin… Read more »

Maybe the holiday season isn’t quite here yet, but nevertheless, the No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers (1-0) received an early gift in their season-opening 99-55 trouncing of the Prairie View A&M Panthers (0-2) Sunday evening at the Kohl Center. Senior forward Jon Leuer led all scorers with 24 points and seven… Read more »

After winning their two exhibition games by a combined 177-118, the No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers are ready for some real basketball. That comes in the form of the Prairie View A&M Panthers, who come to the Kohl Center Sunday afternoon to open the 2010-11 season. In exhibition play, Wisconsin hosted… Read more »

The UW men’s basketball team looks to conclude its exhibition play this Wednesday, facing Minnesota State at the Kohl Center. The team will then begin preparations for opening it’s regular season play this Sunday where they will host Prairie View A&M With the conclusion of the exhibition season upon the… Read more »

Every year, it happens. The experienced players, the captains who might have even become the face of a team, must always leave. So goes the college game. But with every year, the young and promising grow one year older and capably take over the reigns of their squad. So as… Read more »

Head coach Bo Ryan and the Wisconsin men’s basketball team will begin their exhibition season Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Kohl Center against UW-La Crosse. The team finished last season with an overall record of 24-9 and were ranked fourth in conference with a 13-5 record. Despite 12 straight… Read more »

In the world of NCAA basketball, the sixth game of the season — especially when it’s nearly a month before the beginning of conference play — is generally not a big deal. In the world of Bo Ryan and the Wisconsin men’s basketball team, however, that sentiment does not exist.… Read more »

Coming off a tough loss at No. 11 Michigan State earlier in the week, Wisconsin needed a big win over No. 4 Purdue to salvage a split in its first two games against the Big Ten favorites. With an upset over No. 5 Duke already on their r�sum�, the Badgers… Read more »

Here in the heart of Badger Nation, it seems almost hyperbolic to tout Bo Ryan’s coaching prowess. After all, his list of accolades at UW — 217 wins, a .727 winning percentage, nine straight NCAA Tournament appearances, two Sweet Sixteen births, two Big Ten Tournament championships and successful mastery of… Read more »

It was a tale of two teams for the Wisconsin men’s basketball program in 2009-10: with Jon Leuer and without him. With the 6-foot-10 Minnesota native providing an inside counterbalance to the outside scoring of Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon, the Badgers got off to a 10-2 nonconference start, including… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS ?— During the 2010 Final Four, banners reading The Road Ends HereT decorated Lucas Oil Stadium. On a memorable Monday night in downtown Indianapolis, two teams came to the end of that road. Only one reached it happily, and that wasn’t the team from six miles away, the team… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — As Butler’s sophomore forward Gordon Hayward walked away from the scene behind him, Duke players diving on top of each other in a pile just feet from where he’d missed a last-second shot, he knew his team’s historic Final Four run was over. Of course, a 61-59 loss… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — Butler coach Brad Stevens said he wasn’t happy with his team’s poor shooting in Saturday evening’s matchup against Michigan State. The Bulldogs barely cracked 50 points. They shot 70 percent from the free-throw line. They were outrebounded. Yet Butler continued its historic run with a 52-50 victory in… Read more »

It began with rebounds. Duke earned more second-chance points off the glass in its 78-57 national semifinal win over West Virginia. The Blue Devils now meet the Butler Bulldogs Monday evening in the national championship game. Duke had an only eight-point lead going into the second half, but West Virginia… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s a title game no one could have predicted, and a match-up that couldn’t be any more polarizing to the City of Indianapolis.On one side, the pride of the state, the beloved Butler Bulldogs.On the other side, arguably the most disdained team in the nation, the Duke Blue… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — The unselfish style of Butler has led to unusual conversation all week. In descriptions of this team, the talk about any particular player has been subbed out for collective nouns. The Bulldogs have played the role of a selfless group quite well all season, but their 52-50 victory… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — Hollywood wishes they had come up with a story like this. Back home again in Indiana, just a deep 3-pointer away from their own campus, the Bulldogs found a way to shock the college basketball world once again Saturday. The game might not have been pretty. In fact,… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — As Lindsay Rump sees it, a Butler University basketball fan’s needs this weekend are simple. First, a fan at the Final Four must eat — ideally, with other fans of one’s team. Then, there’s the matter of watching the game. Rump, the Butler student body president, said around… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — Even with the spring rain falling gently upon them early Saturday afternoon, they crowded the decorated streets of downtown Indianapolis. They swarmed around vendors selling t-shirts and hats. They walked in groups, joking in animated discussion and soaking in the festival-like atmosphere around them. And, virtually all… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — When it came to college, Gordon Hayward Sr. indoctrinated his son from Day One. He bought him sweatshirts, took him to football and basketball games and decorated both his kids’ rooms with a certain school’s colors: black and gold. As in, the black and gold of Purdue University.… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — Once upon a time, NCAA players played a minimum of three or four years for their school. That was the college basketball fairy tale. Even after the most statistically successful freshman year, players would anxiously await the next season for a chance to pursue and win a national… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — When Butler faces Michigan State in Saturday’s first semi-final game of the Final Four, its small school, underdog story will manifest itself in ways beyond the court. Like in the coaches’ wallets.In terms of the pay of the head coaches, Butler vs. Michigan State is a David vs.… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — When ESPN.com writer Dana O’Neil covered her first Final Four in 2001, the rooms were packed with writers crowded around players and coaches. There were so many journalists, in fact, she said it was difficult to move.What about this year? Let’s just say that print journalists are not… Read more »

Two of college basketball’s biggest stars will not be celebrating with a national championship trophy Monday night. But Ohio State’s Evan Turner and Kentucky’s John Wall won’t leave the weekend empty-handed. Both players were recognized, along with Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and IUPUI coach Ron Hunter, at the United States… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — Fans rush the court, dance in the streets and sing their alma mater’s fight song. The enthusiasm generated by a Final Four run brings a lot of excitement to a campus — and a lot of publicity. But success in the NCAA tournament doesn’t necessarily inspire an increase… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — There’s no room for “my bads” in March. It figures that a coach sitting at the podium on Thursday of the Final Four would say that about the parity in college basketball. Plenty of teams have found that Michigan State coach Tom Izzo’s words ring true in… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — Forgive Gordon Hayward for daydreaming. Twenty-four hours before the biggest game of his life, the Butler star will be sitting in a lecture hall instead of a locker room. His hometown Bulldogs might be the toast of college basketball, but that won’t get the sophomore out of attending… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — As a senior, Nick Rodgers of Butler has scored six of the team’s 2,374 points. He has made one start for the Bulldogs and averages 1.2 minutes per game. And although this walk-on guard from Noblesville, Ind., has grabbed no rebounds this year and hasn’t attempted a free… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — Four teams have made it through the madness of March to this year’s NCAA men’s Final Four, and one can win the title in its home city. UCLA did it in 1972, in Los Angeles. Now, the Butler Bulldogs, whose first Final Four is in their home city,… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — Butler’s Brad Stevens has done it 64 times. West Virginia’s Bob Huggins has done it 14 times. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo has done it only once, and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski has never done it and, apparently, never will. What practice do the head coaches of the Final Four… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — While players prepared for Saturday’s Final Four, college and high school students participated in the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Sports Writing Seminar at the NCAA Headquarters on Thursday. Malcolm Moran, former USA Today and New York Times sports writer and now Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — Sitting just north of the center of Indianapolis, Butler was a relatively unknown private university. That was true until the buzzer went off ending the Bulldogs’ regional final victory over Kansas State on Saturday, March 27, the day the men’s basketball team thrust itself into the national spotlight.… Read more »

For the first time since 2005, the Wisconsin Badgers were led in 2010 by a pair of seniors in the backcourt in Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon. Yet, while experienced guards are a common element of many successful teams in college basketball, Bo Ryan’s squad was picked to be among… Read more »

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As Cornell blew by Wisconsin in Sunday’s second round match-up, Big Red forward Ryan Wittman and his 24-point performance was the focus of much attention afterward. Another Ryan, though — Wisconsin’s freshman forward Ryan Evans — played well when called upon due to foul trouble for the… Read more »

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For 11 seconds, Wisconsin and Cornell were tied in Sunday’s game. Then Big Red forward Ryan Wittman hit a quick jumper, making it 2-0 in favor of Cornell. That was just the beginning of the rout Sunday as No. 12 seed Cornell knocked off No. 4 seed… Read more »

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — After barely escaping with a win Friday over No. 13 seed Wofford, senior guard Trevon Hughes was asked if the Badgers needed to perform better Sunday. Without hesitation, he gave his response. “Oh, definitely,” he said. “Cornell is a tough team. Their confidence is high right now.… Read more »

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In Friday’s early session of first-round games, Team A defeated Team B 78-65 while Team C beat Team D 53-49. The winners were No. 4 seed Wisconsin and No. 12 seed Cornell. Now which team won by 13 and which barely escaped by four? One would… Read more »

Quotes: Jon Leuer On facing 7-footer Jeff Foote on Sunday against Cornell “We’ve had a lot of different match-ups and we’ve played a lot of different styles. We just focus on what we’re going to do. We always want to get good shots and take care of the ball,… Read more »

Much has been made of the similarities between Wisconsin and Wofford as they prepare for their first-round matchup today in Jacksonville — and with good reason, too. In terms of offensive and defensive shooting percentages, the Badgers and Terriers nearly mirror one another. Likewise, both are good rebounding teams and… Read more »

The brackets are filled, and the games are starting; Madness has begun. Now that everything is all locked up, why not see how your picks stack up against the Herald Sports staff? Herald Sports editors Jordan Schelling, Adam Holt, Max Henson, Mike Fiammetta, Sam Maxwell and Sports alum and current… Read more »

When the Wisconsin Badgers take the court Friday against the Wofford Terriers, they may feel as if they are looking into a mirror. In terms of enrollment, the University of Wisconsin is one of the largest schools in the NCAA Tournament and Wofford College is the smallest. Yet the two… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — With 33 seconds remaining in Friday’s quarterfinal game versus Illinois, all signs seemed to point to a Wisconsin victory. Although the Badgers trailed by two, they had stolen all the game’s momentum from Illinois. And Trevon Hughes was on such a hot streak nothing could stop him. Except,… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — The Wisconsin basketball team forced 17 turnovers, grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to Illinois’ two and showed poise coming back in the final minutes befitting their senior leadership. And none of it matters if you can’t hit shots. Wisconsin fell 58-54 at the hands of the Fighting Illini in… Read more »

For college basketball enthusiasts and bracketologists, last night was the greatest day of the year. Every time Selection Sunday rolls around, everything around seems to stop for an hour as the 65-team bracket is announced excruciatingly slowly on CBS. Personally, I watched the broadcast from the media room of the… Read more »

Five days ago, Wisconsin dominated Illinois en route to a 72-57 victory in Champaign. As a result, the line between the two teams is clear as they meet for a third time this afternoon. The 13th-ranked Badgers have secured their spot in next week’s NCAA Tournament. Conversely, the Illini could… Read more »

It’s been said time and again, but the Wisconsin Badgers — like Rodney Dangerfield — can’t get no respect. When the all-Big Ten awards were announced Monday night on the Big Ten Network, the trend continued. Wisconsin received four honors from the coaches and three from the media. In each,… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will look back at the Wisconsin men’s basketball team and grade the Badgers in various aspects of the game, including offense, defense and bench scoring. Here is how UW fared at Indiana, on Senior Night versus Iowa and on the road at Illinois: Offense — 5… Read more »

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It was just like old times for the University of Wisconsin. Twice earlier this conference season with a healthy Jon Leuer saddled with foul trouble, the Badgers not only held serve without their dominant post presence, but also increased their lead to insurmountable proportions. This time appeared… Read more »

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — If it had been the first time sophomore Jordan Taylor had been called upon to fill the shoes of a starter, there may have been some trepidation on the part of Wisconsin’s senior leaders. Some, but not a lot. But after already having countless clutch moments in… Read more »

On a night that ended with a tribute video to honor senior guards Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon, junior forward Jon Leuer put on a spectacular display that might end up filling his future highlight reel all on its own. Playing their final game of the season at the Kohl… Read more »

Last time Twanna Hutchinson, a parent coordinator for P.S. 251 in Queens, N.Y., saw her son play in person was nearly four years ago on March 17, 2006. Trevon Hughes and St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy lost that game, the 2006 Division 2 State Championship game at the Kohl Center,… Read more »

A year ago, Wisconsin sat at 18-10 overall with a 9-7 record in Big Ten play. The Badgers did not receive a single vote in either poll on March 2, 2009. UW’s tournament r�sum� was weak, to say the least. Now, the cardinal and white boast a 21-7 record with… Read more »

As the days remaining in the 2009-10 basketball season wind down, there was a strong sense of nostalgia in head coach Bo Ryan’s weekly press conference. In light of seniors Jason Bohannon and Trevon Hughes’ careers reaching their final stages, Ryan was asked about what kind of feedback his former… Read more »

In a game similar to the teams’ previous matchup this season, the No. 17 Wisconsin men’s basketball team cruised to a 78-46 win over Indiana Thursday night in Bloomington, Ind. UW’s 32-point road win was its largest Big Ten road win since Feb. 9, 1942, and the team’s biggest road… Read more »

Heading down to Indiana, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team faces a must-win game Thursday if it is to fulfill a preseason goal. No, not to win the Big Ten title — although this game is absolutely crucial for any chance of accomplishing that for the third time in Bo Ryan’s… Read more »

Despite the Wisconsin basketball team’s 20-7 record, marquee victories over Duke, Purdue and Michigan State and a No. 17 ranking in the AP poll, the Internet minions following the Badgers have been dissatisfied this season. So who is the most common target of those brave, anonymous posters who grace the… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will look back at the Wisconsin men’s basketball team and grade the Badgers in various aspects of the game, including offense, defense and bench scoring. Here is how the Badgers fared last week on the road at Minnesota and at home versus Northwestern: Offense — 2… Read more »

Five shots. That’s how many Wisconsin missed in the first half en route to a 14-point halftime lead. Unfortunately for the Badgers, they only made five in the second half, as they barely hung on at home to beat Northwestern 70-63. Conversely, the Wildcats were a model of consistency, hitting… Read more »

No member of the Wisconsin basketball team will go on record saying they are thinking about the possibilities that loom ahead in the NCAA Tournament, and perhaps they haven’t given it any thought. But you can bet this two-game stretch against Northwestern and Minnesota will be on every future opponent’s… Read more »

MINNEAPOLIS — Physically dominated. Those are not words often associated with head coach Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin basketball team. But the statistics, final score and even bruised egos will bear out that this is exactly what happened to the Badger basketball squad Thursday night in a 68-52 drubbing against Minnesota in… Read more »

MINNEAPOLIS — You can’t win if you don’t score. It might be a clich�, but itMs a good, if simple description of what happened as the No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers lost 68-52 Thursday night to Minnesota at Williams Arena. Over a nearly eight-minute stretch in the second half, the Badgers… Read more »

A year ago, then-No. 17 Minnesota won at the Kohl Center for the first time in 17 years. The overtime loss was the second of six in a row and a devastating one for Wisconsin, which had led by as many as 14 points with 14:08 remaining in regulation. Seven… Read more »

He’s back. Just 37 days after suffering an injury to his left wrist on Jan. 9, junior forward Jon Leuer returned to practice Monday with his left wrist taped, looking like he hasn’t missed a beat. His ability to quickly assimilate back into the lineup likely had a lot to… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will look back at the Wisconsin men’s basketball team and grade the Badgers in various aspects of the game, including offense, defense and bench scoring. Here is how the Badgers fared last week in a pair of home games against Illinois and Indiana: Offense — 3… Read more »

Watching senior guard Jason Bohannon post a career-high 30 points against Indiana Saturday, Badger fans were given a reprieve from the seemingly endless wait for the return of co-leading scorer Jon Leuer. The 6-foot-10 forward has been out since Jan. 9 with a broken wrist suffered in a win over… Read more »

He’s back. Just 37 days after suffering an injury to his left wrist in Wisconsin’s victory Jan. 9 over then-No. 4 Purdue, junior forward Jon Leuer returned to practice Monday sporting a soft cast on his left wrist and looking like he hasn’t missed a beat. ESPN.com’s Andy Katz reported… Read more »

As the University of Wisconsin held its weekly press conference Monday, several head coaches were in attendance to talk about their respective teams. First among them was women’s basketball head coach Lisa Stone, who discussed about her team’s upcoming matchup with Ohio State and the Badgers’ chances of making the… Read more »

With a pair of former Badgers sitting behind the bench wearing their jerseys Saturday, senior guards Jason Bohannon and Trevon Hughes had one of the best combined performances of their careers. Bohannon — whose jersey was worn by current New York Knicks forward Marcus Landry — put up a career-high… Read more »

It’s rare to see the Wisconsin scout team on the floor with two minutes to go in the ballgame against a Big Ten opponent. When it happens, it becomes clear the Badgers have the game well in hand. That was the case Saturday as the 11th-ranked Badgers absolutely dominated the… Read more »

After suffering a home loss for the first time this season, this week has been a different experience for No. 11 Wisconsin as the Badgers look to avoid losing consecutive games, something they have not done in 2009-10. UW welcomes the Indiana Hoosiers to the Kohl Center for a Saturday… Read more »

He may not be the most well-known player on the Wisconsin men’s basketball roster, but freshman forward Mike Bruesewitz is quickly making a name for himself. Showing signs of talent right from the start, the St. Paul native set a career high in scoring, rebounding and minutes against Arizona. Although… Read more »