BadgerBeat.com

Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball: Top competition awaits in Virgin Islands

Marcus Landry and the other three seniors on the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team know all about the Paradise Jam.

Landry, forwards Joe Krabbenhoft and Kevin Gullikson and guard Morris Cain were freshmen when the Badgers won the tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands in November 2005.

Baggot: Wrestling's upswing worth a look

For all its progress in national prestige and finances in recent years, there remains a nagging constant where the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department is concerned.

A majority of its programs remain unable to avoid the occasional downturn in performance.

Just when you think football is going to drop anchor in the Top 25 — and perhaps become a fixture in the Bowl Championship Series discussion under coach Bret Bielema — along comes 6-5 and the tepid thrill of simply being bowl eligible.

Wisconsin Badgers football: A match made out of desperation

Much has been made about how Cal Poly ended up appearing on the University of Wisconsin football team's schedule. The Badgers were desperate for a 12th game and had a hard time finding a team with an open date in late November. UW would have preferred to close the regular season against a Football Bowl Subdivision (I-A) opponent, but it was forced to settle for Cal Poly, a Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA) team.

Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey: UW signs five; goaltender not included

If you're looking for the next Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey goaltender among those the program signed to national letters of intent over the last week, you won't find him.

Nothing to worry about, Aaron Crandall said.

"I'm just signing in April," Crandall said. "Everything's still on plan."

Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball: Markolf plays, Berggren waits

Before Tuesday night, Ian Markolf and Jared Berggren were in the same situation.

The two roommates were both fairly set on playing for the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team rather than redshirting this season, assuming they could work their way into coach Bo Ryan's rotation.

Wisconsin women's basketball: Badgers look to 'take better care of the ball' against Drake

The University of Wisconsin Badgers women's basketball team's 64-44 opening game loss to South Dakota State was truly a team effort. But Rae Lin D'Alie couldn't help but shoulder more than her share of the responsibility.

That's part of the deal when you're the team captain, point guard and most experienced player. It's part of the deal when your personal stat line shows eight turnovers and just two assists and the team's turnover/assist ratio is 23/5. Ouch.

Wisconsin Badgers football: Q&A with linebacker Ryan Flasch

For University of Wisconsin Badgers senior linebacker Ryan Flasch, it took a redshirt year at the University of Nevada of Las Vegas to convince the Germantown, Wis. native where he truly belonged: at UW-Madison. After sitting out his transfer season as a sophomore, Flasch sustained a leg injury in fall camp and missed the entire 2006 campaign.

Wisconsin Badgers football: Hill finishing with a flourish

University of Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema wasn't sure if junior tailback P.J. Hill was done for the day after suffering a shoulder stinger while pass blocking in the first quarter Saturday against Minnesota.

"He was sitting on the bench, all hunched over and he had a coat on (with) warm sleeves. I said, 'Is he down?' (The trainers) said, 'No, but he's got to get his strength back,' '' Bielema said after the game.

Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball: Nankivil or Leuer?

When men's basketball practice began in October, the leading candidates for the one open spot in Wisconsin's starting lineup were sophomores Keaton Nankivil and Jon Leuer.

So far, Leuer has outplayed Nankivil, who clearly is struggling in his first major minutes as a college player. However, Nankivil has remained the starter at center for Badgers coach Bo Ryan.

Wisconsin Badgers women's basketball: Time to regroup

A tired and admittedly cranky Lisa Stone was rummaging through her mental Webster's Tuesday in search of the perfect word to describe what happened to the Wisconsin Badgers women's basketball team in its season opener Monday night at South Dakota State.

"Frenetic, that's the word, right?" she asked.

Wisconsin Badgers football: A closer look at Cal Poly

The Cal Poly offense will be unlike anything the University of Wisconsin football team has seen this season.

This YouTube clip will give you some idea of how explosive the Mustangs' triple-option attack that features the use of two slotbacks and two wide receivers can be.

Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey: State recruit decommits

Brock Montpetit, an 18-year-old winger from Somerset, was expected to join the Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey team during the NCAA early signing period that ends Wednesday.

Instead, Montpetit decided not to sign a national letter of intent that was sent to him last week, informing UW coach Mike Eaves that would not play for the Badgers.

Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball: 'A typical senior for Wisconsin' sparks UW in opener

Dan Monson had seen it happen to his old team many times so he wasn't surprised when it happened to his new team Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center.

After Marcus Landry poured in a career-high 23 points and made two huge plays in the final minute of the game to lead the 25th-ranked University of Wisconsin men's basketball team to a 68-61 win over Long Beach State, Monson shrugged and called Landry "a typical senior for Wisconsin."

Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball: Leuer leads Badgers in romp

Jon Leuer proved he wasn't a one-hit wonder Tuesday night but he wasn't in the mood to do any celebrating.

The 6-10 sophomore forward scored 19 points to lead the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team to an 88-58 victory over outmanned Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in a nonconference game Tuesday night at the Kohl Center.

It was Leuer's first double-digit scoring game since he had 25 points against Michigan in the Badgers' Big Ten Conference opener 25 games ago last January. His 19 points also matched the number of points he had scored between this game and that Michigan game.

"I know how quickly things can change," said Leuer, who remembers vividly how his fortunes changed after helping the Badgers win at Michigan last season. "I'll never get too up on a good game scoring."

But this was a good start for the versatile Leuer, who is finding his comfort level playing with 20 extra pounds of muscle this season. The Long Lake, Minn., native made 8 of 10 shots overall as he tied his career high with for most field goals in a game. He also made both of his 3-point attempts and added 3 rebounds and 2 assists while playing just 19 minutes of the blowout.

"Obviously I haven't had that kind of night for awhile, so I guess you could say it gives me a little confidence that I can do some things out there," said Leuer, who is playing at 225 pounds this season. "But I still feel I have a lot to improve on."

Leuer remembered getting beat a couple of times defensively. He also said he could have had a few more rebounds. "I just have to be playing more physical and bring the toughness this team needs," he said.

The 25th-ranked Badgers (2-0) didn't need to do much to whip the Cougars (1-3), who are in the first year playing at the NCAA Division I level and dressed just nine players. They also were playing their fourth game in five days on the road and were without their top scorer and rebounder, freshman forward Mark Yelovich, because he had a family emergency.

The Badgers never trailed in the tune-up for the three-game Paradise Jam tournament that begins Friday at St. Thomas. Leuer and junior guard Jason Bohannon combined for 16 quick points as the Badgers jumped out to a 23-10 lead. The Badgers led 40-21 at halftime and then opened up a 62-28 lead following a Bohannon layup with 12:38 left in the game.

UW coach Bo Ryan was pleased his team "stayed to the task" even after the game turned into a rout in the second half. "I liked the fact we moved the ball, made hard cuts, touched the post, we didn't get screwy with our decision making," Ryan said. "That's what you look for in games like this."

Senior forward Marcus Landry added 15 and had a career-high 5 blocks while Bohannon and fellow junior guard Trevon Hughes had 12 and 11 points respectively.

The Badgers shot 59 percent overall (35 of 59) and 53 percent from 3-point range (8 of 15) and dished out 21 assists, which was just three off the Kohl Center record. SIU-Edwardsville shot 38 percent overall (21 of 55) and 47 percent from 3-point range (47 percent).

"I thought defensively we were pretty solid," said Ryan.

Landry was particularly solid swatting away balls. He has 8 blocks in two games. "We don't tell Marcus to go out there and block some shots," said Ryan. "He moves his feet, he was in help position and he reads that pretty well most of the time."

Landry was surprised he had five blocks. He said it made him recall his first years at Wisconsin when he felt he was more of a shot blocker. After rejecting 6 in 16 games as a freshman, Landry blocked 31 as a sophomore and 27 last year.

"It's not always going to be your night to score or your night to do whatever," said Landry. "You have to find a way to help your team defensively and to help your team out. … I'm looking forward to more blocks. It's a fun part of the game."

Landry, who scored 23 points in the Badgers' 68-61 victory over Long Beach State last Sunday, didn't feel the need to score as much against the Cougars because of the Badgers' balance.

He said Leuer's performance didn't surprise him. "As his teammate, I know what he's capable of doing," Landry said. "You're only seeing the beginning of it, I hope."

Ryan liked how Leuer took advantage of his good movement without the ball and got some easy scores following good assists from his teammates.

"It's one of those nights where he got some things going. Better balance, better decisions with the ball. That's what we look for," said Ryan, who added that Leuer was "better on jump stops, better on his ball fakes than he was earlier in the year. He has to continue to do that. He was pretty active."

"His overall game, there's some potential there," Ryan added later. "He just has to bring it all the time."

That includes at the Paradise Jam when the Badgers face Iona Friday evening. If they win, they will face the winner of the San Diego-Valparaiso game on Sunday. If they lose, they will face the loser of that San Diego-Valpo game on Saturday.

Other teams in the tournament include UConn and Miami (Fla.).

"We know what's coming," said Ryan. "We don't feel anything other than that we have to keep improving."

Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball: Leuer copes after cousin's death

Jon Leuer's family means everything to him.

"I can't imagine not having the support of my family like I do because they are such a big source of motivation and inspiration for me," said the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team's sophomore forward.

Oates: Leuer's act plays better this season

That disappearing act Jon Leuer pulled as a freshman last season was just that — an act.

Leuer, a 6-foot-10 forward, showed again Tuesday night that he's here to stay for the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team.

Just in time, too.

Now that the exhibition season — you mean SIU-Edwardsville isn't still in Division II? — is over and the real season is about to begin for the Badgers, coach Bo Ryan will be looking for regular contribitions from players not named Marcus Landry, Joe Krabbenhoft, Jason Bohannon and Trevon Hughes.

Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball: Balance of power delivers easy win

This one wasn't — to borrow one of University of Wisconsin men's basketball coach Bo Ryan's terms — a "grinder."

Unlike their season opener two days earlier, the Badgers didn't need a late surge to pull away Tuesday night.

Sophomore forward Jon Leuer paced a balanced offense, and 25th-ranked UW led from start to finish in dispatching an undermanned and outgunned Southern Illinois-Edwardsville team 88-58 in front of an announced crowd of 17,230.

Mike Lucas: Seuss quote inspires Newkirk and family as they complete five-year journey

University of Wisconsin linebacker DeAndre Levy hasn't given much thought to playing his final football game in Camp Randall Stadium. But he has taken mental notes on how others have handled the senior introductions before the opening kickoff.

"You see the guys on the sidelines tearing up because it's so emotional for them," said Levy, a 21-year-old senior from Milwaukee. "And you think to yourself, 'That won't be me. That won't be me.' We'll see Saturday."

Wisconsin Badgers football recruit Travis Frederick leads Big Foot to state finals

MIDDLETON -- Travis Frederick walked off the field with the look of a true warrior Saturday night at Breitenbach Stadium.

The 6-foot-4, 310-pound senior, whose broken right arm is sporting a monster cast, was tired but had a smile on his face that would not quit.

Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball: More from Tuesday's win

Any human being with at least part of a soul had to feel a bit sorry for the Southern Illinois-Edwardsville men's basketball team after the Wisconsin Badgers rolled over the Cougars 88-58 Tuesday at the Kohl Center.

Edwardsville had just nine players dressed for the game. Coach Lennox Forrester usually has 10 to choose from, but leading scorer and rebounder Mark Yelovich had to stay back because of a "family emergency."

"Him being our leading scorer, leading rebounder, we missed him a lot and he's a playmaker also at his size and position," Forrester said of his 6-foot-5 freshman forward. "So we definitely missed him."

Obviously it probably wouldn't have mattered in the outcome of the game. But just consider the task the Cougars faced Tuesday: playing a UW team that's lost seven home games in seven-plus years under coach Bo Ryan; coming off a weekend in which they played three games in three days; doing it without their best player; and to top it all off, this is Edwardsville's first season competing at the NCAA Division I level.

Anyway, here's a few other tidbits from the game:

- Marcus Landry didn't have to carry the scoring load, but he was a force on defense with five blocks and three steals.

Landry has eight blocks through two games. Think he can keep up that pace?

- Trevon Hughes has taken 13 shots so far this season. Through two games last year he had fired 25. He's looked patient and under control.

- It's funny how quickly things can change. After the Red-White scrimmage, Keaton Nankivil looked like he was due to make a big jump. Obviously that could still happen since it's a long season.

But Nankivil has just one rebound through two games, and had two points in 13 minutes Tuesday. Ryan said Nankivil "needs to be more active."

- It's unclear whether Ian Markolf playing means Jared Berggren will redshirt. It seems like there's only room for one of them in the rotation, but I guess time will tell.

- Hughes spent some time at shooting guard alongside Jordan Taylor. That was a change from the opener, when Taylor merely spelled Hughes at the point.