Michigan
Wisconsin’s bench delivers in win vs Central Michigan, other takeaways
Journal Sentinel beat writer discusses Badgers’ win vs Central Michigan
Journal Sentinel reporter John Steppe shares some quick thoughts on Wisconsin’s 88-61 win over Central Michigan.
MADISON – Wisconsin frequently displayed a warm, inviting fireplace graphic on the Kohl Center video board, complete with brick around the fireplace, stacks of firewood on each side and “staying warm with Wisconsin basketball” text.
The play on the court was even more picturesque for much of the second half as the Badgers used a big run in the second half to blow past Central Michigan, 88-61, on Dec. 22 at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin outscored Central Michigan in the second half, 48-33, and many of CMU’s second-half points came when the game was already well out of reach. The Badgers had a 25-3 scoring run, which quickly turned a 13-point lead into a 35-point lead.
The Badgers won with their bench players taking on bigger roles.
Austin Rapp had 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting along with seven rebounds. Braeden Carrington, three days after missing the Villanova game with an injury, had nine points off the bench.
The only two bench players who did not score were Isaac Gard and Riccardo Greppi, and they only played one minute and 23 seconds. UW’s 44 bench points were its most in a game since at least the 2006-07 season, according to UW sports information.
“This group needs to continue to do it by committee, and it was good to see a lot of guys step up,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said.
Here are three other takeaways from the Badgers’ 27-point win over the Chippewas:
Ball movement was strength again for Wisconsin offensively
Wisconsin’s ball movement has been quite the harbinger for success in 2025-26.
It has appeared to be a major strength for the Badgers at times, like when they had 15 assists on 17 field goals in the first half against Northwestern. But at the same time, Wisconsin had more turnovers than assists in three of its four losses this season. (Most recently, UW had 15 assists versus 16 turnovers in its Dec. 19 loss to Villanova in Milwaukee.)
The Badgers were back in sync against Central Michigan, racking up 25 assists on 29 field goals. It was Wisconsin’s first time since at least 2004-05 with 25-plus assists on fewer than 30 made field goals, and it was UW’s first game with 25-plus assists in general since its Jan. 3 win against Iowa.
“When we move the ball, we’re hard to guard, as probably anybody in the country is,” Gard said. “And when we don’t, we become much easier (to guard).”
UW guard Jack Janicki had nine assists off the bench, obliterating his previous career-high of three assists. He previously had seven in Wisconsin’s first 11 games combined.
“He got back to playing how he can play and we need him to play,” Gard said of Janicki, who also had four points, one rebound and one steal in 23 minutes.
Austin Rapp, Nolan Winter shine before Winter’s injury, but Winter will be ‘fine’
Wisconsin forward Austin Rapp had, as Gard put it, a “non-aggressive mindset” against Villanova as he finished with no rebounds and missed his two shots in 16 minutes.
Rapp bounced back in a big way against Central Michigan. His 18 points topped what he totaled in his previous three games combined, as did his seven rebounds. After shooting 1 of 10 from 3-point range in his previous three games, he was 4 of 7 from deep against Central Michigan.
“Obviously a few rough games,” Rapp said. “It happens. Obviously don’t want those games. But to bounce back tonight and see a few shots go down and kind of get a good win and see other guys contribute too was really cool.”
The Portland transfer also was a key part of the 25-3 run that removed any doubt, as he scored 13 of those 25 points.
Forward Nolan Winter also was productive against the Chippewas, totaling 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting and a team-high eight rebounds in 26 minutes. That was until he exited the game with an injury as he appeared to be grabbing toward his ankle.
He limped to the locker room and later could be seen standing in the tunnel. Gard said Winter was “walking around” after the game as well.
“I haven’t seen the film, if he stepped on somebody,” Gard said. “But he said he’d be fine. We’ll get some time off here where he can get himself feeling good again and fine. But he was about ready to be done anyway. I was ready to pull him. But you got to keep playing because things happen. He could tweak an ankle in the first five minutes or in the last five. So he’ll be fine.”
What to make of Hayden Jones’ first start, John Blackwell’s injury
Gard has talked a good talk about playing Hayden Jones more. Now, the freshman guard from New Zealand finally got his chance, making his first start against Central Michigan in place of the injured John Blackwell.
Jones said he found out about his start about 40 minutes beforehand.
“Kind of knew JB was going to be so-so,” Jones said. “But I was ready. Obviously had a bit of nerves going into it, but once I got in there, it was just another game of basketball.”
Jones had six points on 2-of-4 shooting, four rebounds and two turnovers in 24 minutes on the court. He had highlight-worthy moments, including a dunk in the first half. He also showed some areas where more improvement is needed, as evident by a turnover on a bad inbound pass that led to a CMU fastbreak opportunity.
“He has a really good feel for the game,” Gard said. “I got to get him to stop dribbling to the right wing and picking the ball up the first possession of every game, but I think he just has a really good feel and size. … He rebounds well for his size. He was going to play a lot tonight, regardless of where JB was at.”
As for Wisconsin’s preseason all-Big Ten guard, Gard said that Blackwell “will be fine.” UW did not disclose any details about the nature of the injury – including whether it was upper- or lower-body – but Blackwell was seen on the sideline in street clothes without any noticeable impediments.
“He tried to warm up a little bit with our pregame stuff and didn’t feel he wanted to or was able to go,” Gard said. “So we move on, and it was a good opportunity for Hayden.”
Michigan
Sherrone Moore’s former assistant sues University of Michigan over alleged FOIA violations
A former University of Michigan assistant whose relationship with ex-coach Sherrone Moore was under investigation is accusing university officials of refusing to provide records related to the probe.
Paige Shiver filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in Washtenaw Circuit Court, claiming that U of M “arbitrarily and capriciously” violated the Michigan Freedom of Information Act by repeatedly denying her requests. Shiver and her legal team are seeking a court order requiring the university to disclose the records.
The lawsuit also alleges that throughout Shiver’s four-year employment with U of M, she was “discriminated against and subjected to a hostile work environment on the basis of her sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Michigan law including Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act.”
“The lawsuit filed today demands transparency and accountability from the University of Michigan, President Grasso and the Board of Regents,” said Shiver’s attorney, Andrew M. Stroth.
On Wednesday, CBS News Detroit reached out to U of M, which says it has no comment.
The investigation led to Moore’s firing in December 2025. At the time, it was determined that he was in an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, who was later identified as Shiver.
Moore was arrested hours later after authorities said he went to Shiver’s home and threatened to harm himself. He was charged with third-degree felony home invasion, as well as misdemeanor counts of stalking and of breaking and entering. Moore was sentenced to 18 months’ probation after pleading no contest to the two misdemeanor charges.
According to the lawsuit, Shiver filed a FOIA request in February 2026 for audio, video and transcripts of interviews of herself, her father, Jeff Shiver, and Moore. The lawsuit alleges that the university denied her request, citing the ongoing investigation.
The lawsuit alleges that Shiver submitted a similar request months later, in June, but was told by the university that it was “overly broad and vague” and “does not describe a ‘public record sufficiently to enable the public body to find the public record.’”
The lawsuit claims that requests were submitted in March and May, respectively, for all emails sent to the law firm Jenner & Block (UMconcerns@jenner.com) and for recordings of Shiver’s meetings by the university through Jenner & Block. However, those requests were denied because the university cited that it had no responsive records, according to the lawsuit.
The law firm was hired by U of M to investigate Moore and Shiver’s relationship. The university later expanded the investigation to include the athletic department.
The lawsuit also claims that Shiver requested copies of emails between Moore and athletic director Warde Manuel that contained the words “affair,” “discipline,” “pregnancy,” “baby” and “abortion.” The university denied the request, citing the communication between U of M employees as “exempt information,” according to the lawsuit.
However, Shiver’s legal team argued that the university has not shown evidence that the emails are exempt.
“This public university paid Jenner & Block $12 million to investigate the Sherrone Moore scandal and the abuse, Title IX and Title VII violations within the athletic department and Schembechler Hall, yet now refuses to release the investigation’s findings. It was important for our client to file this initial FOIA lawsuit to ensure the truth and facts come out,” Stroth said.
Shiver appeared on ABC News’ “Good Morning America” in April to discuss her relationship with Moore. In the interview, she said she became pregnant by Moore and sought an abortion after medical complications were discovered about the pregnancy.
Note: The video above previously aired on April 14, 2026.
Michigan
‘Big Brother’ season 28 to premiere this week. One guest from Michigan
Meet the 3 New Jersey contestants on ‘Big Brother’ 28
Three New Jersey contestants are joining ‘Big Brother’ Season 28. Meet the Maplewood, Washington Township and Monroe Township houseguests.
Doors will to the “Big Brother” house will open soon, as season 28 premieres this week — and the cast list includes one guest from northern Michigan.
At 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 9, “Big Brother” season 28 will premiere on CBS to introduce the new guests in a 90-minute episode.
“This season’s cast includes an MMA fighter, rocket scientist, game show host, daughter of an ’80s pop star, and a DRAG RACE All Star, among others,” CBS said in a July 7 announcement. “This new group of Houseguests is stepping into a summer where nothing is as it seems, where every twist rewrites the rules, and where time becomes the ultimate twist.”
There is one Michigan guest, Rome Seymour, 28, who works as a professional pickleball coach from Traverse City.
“I would describe myself as bashful, extroverted and extremely excitable. To be on ‘Big Brother’ is a dream. I’ve never felt anything as exiting as this before,” Seymour said in the “Big Brother” July 7 live cast announcement video.
Seymour said he will use his inner nerdiness to befriend and protect guests who are perhaps similar.
“I see myself as hero, but I think a lot of people in the house are going to see me as a villain just because I’m so competitive that I want to win,” Seymour said.
After the 14 guests were revealed by CBS, the cast was said to be joined by long-time “Survivor” contestant Rick Devens, according to a July 7 Entertainment Weekly article.
Here’s more on the cast and how to tune in this week:
What is ‘Big Brother’ about? What is the theme for season 28?
“Big Brother,” is a reality TV show that follows a group of people living in a large house surrounded by 112 cameras and 113 microphones as an unfiltered 24-hour live feed to capture every interaction, strategic move and challenge.
A guest will be voted off each week, and the last remaining guest will win the grand prize of $750,000, according to CBS.
The theme for season 28 is called, “Time Trip,” according to Sneak Peak from Paramount+.
Is anyone from Michigan on ‘Big Brother’ season 28?
Yes. There is one guest from Michigan on season 28 of “Big Brother:” Rome Seymour, 28, is a professional pickleball coach from Traverse City, located in the northwest Lower Peninsula.
Full ‘Big Brother’ season 28 cast list
Here is the full guest list for “Big Brother” season 28:
- Rick Devens, 42: TV journalist and long-time “Survivor” contestant from Blacksburg, Virginia.
- Jason De Puy, 35: Drag Queen and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum from San Francisco, California.
- Ashley Trail, 24: Bartender from Alton, Illinois.
- Barrett Pfeiffer, 27: Jumbotron Engineer from Benton, Arkansas.
- Chuk Anyanwu, 27: Supply Chain Analyst from Dallas, Texas.
- Drew Campbell, 22: Surgical Dental Assistant from Temecula, California.
- Haley Thogmartin, 29: Telemedicine Executive from Neosho, Missouri.
- Rome Seymour, 28: Pickleball Coach from Traverse City, Michigan.
- Kamuela “Kamu” Kirk, 32: MMA Fighter from Phoenix, Arizona.
- LaTrice Verrett, 57: Boutique Salesperson from Kankakee, Illinois.
- Lyric Medeiros, 25: Attorney from Honolulu, Hawaii.
- Mallory Aurichio, 24: Rocket Scientist from Township of Washington, New Jersey.
- Melody Morris, 24: Corporate Game Show Host from Thornton, Colorado.
- Taylor Brown, 27: Elementary School Counselor from Deerfield Beach, Florida.
- Yash Patel, 24: Financial Analyst from Monroe Township, New Jersey.
What time does ‘Big Brother’ season 28 premiere?
The 90-minute “Big Brother” season 28 premiere is set to air at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 9.
“Big Brother: Unlocked,” will air at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, July 10, and a 90-minute episode will air at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 12.
Where can I stream the ‘Big Brother’ premiere this week?
“Big Brother” Season 28 will air on CBS and will be available on Paramount+ Premium, priced at $13.99 per month.
Paramount+ Essential subscribers will be able to catch the episode the day after it airs.
Following the season premiere this week, the series will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET, followed by hour-long shows on Thursdays, featuring live evictions, and Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
USA TODAY contributed.
Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com
Michigan
Michigan Supreme Court rules rape admission invalid due to LSD use
A man who took a large quantity of LSD before allegedly sexually assaulting his friend was too dazed to legally confess to the incident when deputies questioned him about it hours later, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
In a 6-1 decision in which the dissenting justice agreed that the case should be retried, the high court sent the case against Zebadiah J. Soriano, 24, back to the trial.
Soriano’s attorney argued that not only was his client high on the hallucinogenic drug when he admitted to being a rapist after being read his Miranda rights, he also was sleep-deprived, hungry and unfamiliar with law enforcement procedures.
“Voluntary intoxication does not make a Miranda waiver per se invalid,” Justice Kimberly Thomas wrote in the opinion. ” … However, the circumstances here undermined Soriano’s ability to make a knowing and intelligent waiver.”
Defense attorney Ali Nathaniel Wright called the decision “a victory for Michiganders and our right to be protected from self-incrimination.”
“The decision serves as a reminder to our lower courts and law enforcement that confessions elicited from hospitalized teenagers who cannot fully appreciate their rights because they are intoxicated and sleep deprived have no place in a court of law,” Wright said in a statement.
‘I am a rapist’
Soriano was 18 years old on the night of Nov. 20, 2020, when he used LSD with a platonic friend, identified in court documents as “AC,” at her home in Grand Traverse County. Records show that Soriano had made romantic advances toward AC in the past, which she had rebuffed.
AC allegedly took one acid tablet while Soriano has claimed that he took six.
AC later told investigators that, a short time later, Soriano disrobed, forced himself on top of her and groped her, according to court documents. When she got away from him, Soriano allegedly caught her and put his arms around her throat. The alleged victim again was able to escape from Soriano, who eventually fell down a flight of stairs and ran out of the house.
Police were called to the scene and found Soriano around two hours after the alleged assault, in a wooded area about a quarter-mile from AC’s home, court documents show. He was acting strangely and making nonsensical statements, so officers transported him to a hospital, where they read him his Miranda rights before he made the incriminating statement that lies at the heart of the case:
“I am a rapist. I am f***ed,” he allegedly told a Grand Traverse sheriff’s deputy.
Convicted of criminal sexual conduct
Soriano was charged in Grand Traverse Circuit Court with assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct involving penetration, as well as assault by strangulation, records show.
Before his trial, Soriano filed a motion seeking to suppress the damning statement he made at the hospital, arguing that because he was high on LSD, he was unable to legally waive his constitutional right to remain silent.
The court denied the motion and, in September 2021, a jury convicted Soriano on the criminal sexual conduct charge while acquitting him of assault by strangulation. He was sentenced to three years of probation, six months in jail and ordered to register as a sex offender for life, according to court records.
The suspect later filed a motion seeking a new trial, arguing that his defense failed to support his motion to suppress with expert testimony, records show.
The trial court denied the motion and, in May 2024, an appeals court affirmed Soriano’s conviction in a 2-1 decision, opining that any alleged errors were harmless and unsupported.
“AC’s testimony, particularly when corroborated by other witness testimony, makes it is clear beyond a reasonable doubt that a rational jury would have found defendant guilty absent any potential error in the admission of his statements made while in the hospital,” the Appeals Court judges wrote.
In September 2025, Soriano appealed the decision to the Michigan Supreme Court. Wright wrote in a brief that two hours after Soriano had been interrogated, a deputy told his parents that he was “too out of it” to speak to them.
“If Zebadiah was not sober enough to hold a basic conversation with his parents two hours after his interrogation, then he was not sober enough to knowingly and intelligently waive his constitutional rights or give a voluntary confession,” Wright wrote. “The State should not be permitted to reap the benefits of (the deputy’s) exploitation of a vulnerable teenager.”
Too high to confess?
In a decision filed Tuesday, the Michigan Supreme sided with the defense.
Thomas, writing for the 6-1 majority in a 24-page opinion, said Soriano did not fully understand the rights he was giving up when he told law enforcement that he was a rapist.
“The short period of time between defendant’s erratic behaviors and being advised of his Miranda rights supports the conclusion that defendant was not able to understand his rights at the time of waiver,” Thomas wrote.
The high court also rejected the Court of Appeals’ conclusion that other evidence made the error harmless, determining that Soriano’s hospital statement was an important part of the prosecution’s effort to prove his intent.
“Given the other evidence concerning defendant’s intent, the average jury would have found the prosecution’s case significantly less persuasive without the erroneously admitted statement,” Thomas wrote.
The dissenting justice, Richard Bernstein, disagreed with his colleagues about the legal reason Soriano’s waiver was invalid, but agreed a new trial was warranted.
The ruling reverses the Appeals Court decision, vacates Soriano’s conviction and sends the case back to the trial court for further proceedings.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
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