Illinois‘ Mikel LeShoure, Wisconsin’s John Clay, and Notre Dame‘s Armando Allen (click their respective names for profiles/exclusive interviews with each running back) have been named to the list of 49 candidates for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation’s top college running back.
Clay, the reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, led the Big Ten and ranked eighth in the country with 1,517 rushing yards in 2009. His 18 rushing touchdowns also led the Big Ten and tied for seventh in the nation.
Clay who has also been named to the preseason Watch Lists for the Walter Camp Award and Maxwell Awards. He was also selected as a Playboy All-American. It’s the second straight year he’s been named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List. Ron Dayne is the only Wisconsin player to win the Doak Walker Award, bringing home the trophy in 1999. Dayne was also a finalist for the award in 1998 while Anthony Davis (2001), Brian Calhoun (2005) and P.J. Hill (2006) have all been semifinalists.
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Northwestern junior Drake Dunsmore and Wisconsin senior tight end Lance Kendricks are two of the 32 players named to the 2010 John Mackey Award preseason watch list,which is given annually to the top tight end in the college football. In addition to Dunsmore and Kendricks, three additional Big Ten players were named to the list.
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Adam Burish is no longer a Blackhawk; meaning you’ll never hear anything even remotely interesting from a Blackhawks player in the near future. Now that the Blackhawks have been officially Cubified (well, except for that whole actually winning something part) the team’s obsession with message control just went from ultra-strict to Stalinesque. That’s what happens when John McDonough and his lackey parasite Jay Blunk get their hands on something.
So Burish had to leave as part of the Hawks’ summer yard sale; a ten player selloff of 1992 San Diego Padres proportions. But you can still catch Burish in the Midwest.
Former Badger captain and NCAA champion Adam Burish will share his time with the world’s most famous trophy.
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Remember the Barry Alvarez era, when it seemed like the Wisconsin Badgers had a genuine phobia for the forward pass? Well that “emphasis” on the run certainly produced some great linemen and running backs.
For the last couple decades, the Wisconsin program and tailbacks have gone together like marijuana smoking and reggae music. Ron Dayne, Brent Moss, Terrell Fletcher, Michael Bennett, P.J. Hill, the names go on and on.
6-1, 250 lb junior John Clay is the latest in the line. Even though his yards per carry dipped .2, Clay made a big jump forward last year. He nearly doubled his rushing yardage, running for 1,517 yards and 18 TDs. This earned him the Big Ten offensive player of the year award. He later added the MVP trophy from the Champs Sports Bowl to his collection.
So if he takes another similar step forward this season, does that mean he’s going to forgo his senior season, and enter the NFL Draft?
By Paul M. Banks
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Yesterday, Villanova Head Coach Jay Wright named University of Wisconsin standout Jon Leuer to the 10-man Select Team that will train against Team USA in New York Aug. 9-13, preparing them for the FIBA World Championships.
In a recent interview with Gary Parrish of CBSSportsline.com, Wright declared Leuer the best college player at last month’s camp in Las Vegas.
“Maybe I haven’t followed him as well because he’s from the Midwest, and maybe he wouldn’t surprise anybody else. But he’s got great size, he puts it on the floor, he passes it, he can shoot it. He’s just a ballplayer,” Wright said.
I recently had a conversation with Leuer, and discussed what he’s doing to improve his game.
By Paul M. Banks and David Kay
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Today, we learned the roster of the USA Basketball Select Team that will train against the National Team during its July 19-24 camp in Las Vegas. Five of the 20 collegians chosen for the Select Team are from the Big Ten: William Buford (Ohio State), JaJuan Johnson (Purdue), Mike Tisdale (Illinois), Jon Leuer (Wisconsin), and John Shurna (Northwestern). These players will help the U.S. National Team prepare for the upcoming FIBA World Championship. The Big Ten leads all conferences with it’s 5 selections.
By Paul M. Banks
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Trevon Hughes did not hear his name called in Thursday’s NBA Draft. However the former Badgers point guard will get a chance to earn a spot on an NBA roster like ex-teammate Marcus Landry did last summer.
By: David Kay
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Hands down, Chicago Blackhawks forward Adam Burish is the best soundbite in the city. In a world of “we’re just working hard,” “focusing on ourselves right now,” and “just need to play our game,” his golden quotes glitter even more brightly. So when I saw his table at Stanley Cup Final Media Day, I made sure to follow up with him on a provocative question asked of Burish at the second annual Hawks Fan Convention last summer.
“I said some stupid stuff, yep,” Burish said of the session. Of course, from a media perspective it was pure brilliance.
The topic was hockey groupies and Burish was asked “What do you do when a fan approaches you and tries to make out with you?”
By Paul M. Banks
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From the national ballot of 77 candidates and a pool of hundreds of eligible nominees, Archie Manning, chairman of The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, announced the 2010 College Football Hall of Fame Football Bowl Subdivision Class, which includes the names of 12 First Team All-America players and two legendary coaches. Wisconsin Badgers Athletic Director Barry Alvarez made the cut due to his impressive coaching resume.
By Paul M. Banks
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The Milwaukee Bucks first pre-draft workout Monday featured a familiar face to Wisconsin Badger fans, while another recognizable alum looked on in support. It was just the first of many for Trevon Hughes, who was pleased with his overall effort and performance.
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By Paul M. Banks
Last year the Big Ten FINALLY won the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. The match-ups for next winter, when the Midwestern conference goes for consecutive victories, are now out of the bag. The official word on the lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but what can I say? I know a guy who knows a guy.
Michigan State will travel to Duke and face the defending national champions in what could be the most hyped match-up of the season. The two Final Four teams from last month will no doubt he considered 1a. and 1b. when the season opens up next November.
Read more after the jump to see what else has been announced.
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By Jake McCormick
Another unexpected winning season for the Wisconsin Badgers ends with another early exit from the NCAA Tournament at the hands of a lower seeded mid-major. Cornell personified the Badgers’ worst nightmare as a team that lives and dies by first-opportunity jump shots, but the embarrassing 87-69 loss shouldn’t supersede Wisconsin’s over-achievements.
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By Paul M. Banks
INDIANAPOLIS- Gonzaga. Bradley. Utah. Georgia. Missouri. Those were the five opponents Illinois played on neutral courts this season. All five were losses. Given that the entire NCAA tournament is played on neutral courts, it was IMPERATIVE that Illinois get at least ONE win on a non-partisan floor at the Big Ten Tournament before the big dance begins. So after the Illini’s 58-54 win over Wisconsin, I made sure a question about Illinois getting the monkey off their back got asked.
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By The Sports Bank Staff
The title says it all, we’re here talking conference tourneys all day long at The Bank! The most important early day plot lines are whether or not Michigan can keep this up (THIS being a 16-10 lead halfway through the first half) and whether or not the Illini can punch their ticket to the Big Dance with a victory against Wisconsin.
Join us, as we have Paul Schmidt and Paul Banks live in Indy at the tournament, and David Kay and a host of others will be here once the Big East action gets under way. Will upsets hold sway in Madison Square Garden again? Stay tuned.
Big Ten Quarters/Big East Semis Live Chat!
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By Jake McCormick
Faced with low expectations and the lack of a truly dominant player, the University of Wisconsin basketball team needed strong play and leadership from senior guards Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon in order to get the Badgers into the Big Dance. Four months and 21 wins later, Hughes deserves a large part of the credit for the team’s unexpected success, and has undoubtedly increased his chances of playing at the NBA level.
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By Paul M. Banks
Getting a road win at Wisconsin’s Kohl Center is like a great Chris Rock routine with out the F-word in it. Some things just never naturally occur in life. I knew the ’04-’05 Illini were a special bunch when they came into this God awful house of horrors and won handily. Other than that famous game which ended the Sconnies’ well-documented winning streak, I have no good memories from this place- UNTIL TONIGHT! When the Illini upset #13 Wisconsin. This was a much bigger, MUCH more important victory than the MSU game.
Even the living legend himself Tom Izzo is 0-7 here. But Bruce has THREE wins in Madison to his credit now!
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By Jake McCormick
Indiana is the only team ranked lower than Wisconsin in the 2010 Big 10 football recruiting rankings. Despite what Bret Bielema might say about the current class, it should not be expected to be anything other than decent for a team that will start the season ranked (around) 10th in the nation.
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By Paul M. Banks
How will the Sconnies respond to Life without Leuer? Will Alex Marcotullio finally hit a three and end his slump? Will I hear and share an even better soundbite than Mike Brey’s “We knew about Marcello. We knew what he could do to us” (in response to Marcotullio’s perimeter display against the Irish earlier this season) Because after all if the Irish head man knew so much much about “Marcello” he should probably at least have known his name.
Anyways, tune in here to find out the answers to these questions and more.
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By: Melissa S. Wollering
Just when you thought seasonal depression had set in over the Packers’ playoff loss Sunday night, Jon Leuer breaks his wrist, jeopardizing the Badgers’ basketball season. Then, Michael Redd decides he’s out for the season with a torn ACL/MCL combination kiss of death for the Milwaukee Bucks. Would someone like to make the lives of Wisconsin residents any worse? Please?
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By Paul M. Banks and David Kay
What sources first told The Sports Bank on Sunday has been confirmed; Badgers junior forward Jon Leuer is out indefinitely after injuring his wrist in Sunday’s victory against previously unbeaten Purdue.
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