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It is kind of hard to believe that Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament is only five weeks away. It is becoming time when college basketball teams are separating themselves as either tourney contenders or pretenders. Here is The Sports Bank‘s latest Bracketology? I have more than held my own the past couple of years against ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and with my extreme college hoops nerdom, plan to do so again this year. Check back every week for an update.
UPDATED: 2/6/12
The #3 Ohio State Buckeyes keep control of their first-place standing in the Big Ten with a 58-52 win over the #20 Wisconsin Badgers. Preseason All-American Jared Sullinger was particularly strong with 24 points and 10 rebounds in the Buckeyes first win at the Kohl Center since 2000.
Wisconsin has become the poster-child for being outplayed, yet having the ability to somehow still be in the game. Today’s game was a perfect example while being out-rebounded (30-25), out-shot (43.1% to 40.0%) and out-hustled, but were still within a single point in the last couple of minutes. [Read more...]
Like many seasons before, the Wisconsin Badgers do not have a top ranked recruiting class. In fact, Rivals.com has the Badgers at 48th and Scout.com at 53rd.
It’s been a tumultuous off-season for the Badgers who have lost six assistant coaches to other jobs and now have signed one of the smallest recruiting classes ever under Head Coach Bret Bielema.
Even with the disclaimers, I wouldn’t bet against the Badgers who often exceed their expectations. Here are the notable signees (four-star recruits) who hope they can play a part in the Badgers returning to the Rose Bowl for a third year in a row. [Read more...]
Urban Meyer’s first recruiting class at Ohio State is ranked 3rd or 4th in the nation, depending on who you ask. So much for being hurt by NCAA sanctions/the stain of Jim Tressel/Terrelle Pryor corruption. Meyer’s recruiting class and alleged lack of class has caught the attention of Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema.
The Badgers leader was asked Wednesday if he thought Meyer would change recruiting in the Big Ten and Bielema had some choice quotes. From CBS Chicago:
The Big Ten is having one of the most memorable basketball seasons we’ve seen in some time. The conference leads the country with five top-25 teams and ranks number one in the RPI/Sagarin ratings.
Along with being regarded as the best conference in the nation, the Big Ten is full of intriguing stories. Here are the top five on the year thus far: [Read more...]
It is kind of hard to believe that Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament is only six weeks away. It is becoming time when college basketball teams are separating themselves as either tourney contenders or pretenders. Here is The Sports Bank‘s latest Bracketology? I have more than held my own the past couple of years against ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and with my extreme college hoops nerdom, plan to do so again this year. Check back every week for an update.
UPDATED: 1/30/12
Under NCAA rules, a college athlete who receives his undergraduate degree but still has a year of eligibility remaining can transfer to another school and play right away rather than sit out a year which other transfers must do. This exception became a focal point in the national media when St. Joseph’s would not release center Todd O’Brien from his scholarship so that he could pursue his graduate degree and play out his final year of eligibility at UAB.
Big Ten teams Michigan State and Illinois have benefited from this rule this season. The Spartans starting shooting guard Brandon Wood transferred in from Valparaiso under these guidelines, so did Illini point guard Sam Maniscalco who left Bradley and provided Bruce Weber with a much needed, experienced floor leader.
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Bo Ryan is vehemently against this rule though. He had quite the rant on the topic when speaking to the media on Monday, describing it as “a terrible rule” and “one of the worst rules I’ve ever seen.”
With conference play underway, we begin to get a better feel for how college basketball teams stack up in our Bracketology? I have more than held my own the past couple of years against ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and with my extreme college hoops nerdom, plan to do so again this year. Check back every week for an update.
UPDATED: 1/23/12
No longer known for just his insanely cool Kid ‘n Play haircut, the Wisconsin Badgers junior forward Ryan Evans is starting to get noticed for his solid production on the court.
Evans has scored double-digits in ten games this season and is one of the best defenders on a squad which ranks tops in the NCAA when it comes to locking down opponents.
The native of Phoenix, Arizona is one of the biggest surprises of a wild-and-crazy season in the Big Ten. [Read more...]
You could make a case that Wisconsin had the greatest running back and quarterback tandem in college football history. Quarterback Russell Wilson broke the season passer rating record, and tailback Montee Ball tied the season record for touchdowns. The Badgers were the first team to ever have a player run for 30 TDs, and another player pass for 30 TDs.
Production like that will no doubt attract attention for the offensive coordinator, and Paul Chryst parlayed the astronomical numbers he generated into a new head coaching gig at Pittsburgh.
Today, Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema named Matt Canada his replacement.
Over the last decade, the University of Wisconsin has become an underrated hotbed for NFL talent. In the spirit of continuing the trend, six Wisconsin Badgers will showcase their talents in Mobile, Alabama for the annual Senior Bowl.
Quarterback Russell Wilson, wide receiver Nick Toon, offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler, fullback Bradie Ewing, punter Brad Nortman and long snapper Kyle Wojta will star on the North squad at Ladd-Pebbles Stadium on January 28th. The game is scheduled to appear on NFL Network at 3:00 PM CT.
“This is the most players we’ve ever had at one time from Wisconsin and it speaks volumes to the amount of talent the Badgers had year,” said Senior Bowl President and CEO Steve Hale.
