Wisconsin

BYU vs Wisconsin Preview: Keys to the Game, Wisconsin Overview, Prediction

Published

9 months ago

March 21, 2025

BYU vs Wisconsin Preview: Keys to the Game, Wisconsin Overview, Prediction

For the first time since 2011 versus Gonzaga, BYU is playing a round of 32 game in the NCAA Tournament. Wisconsin, meanwhile, is going for their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2017 after an 85-66 win over Montana. Both teams scored 80+ in their first round game in what could foreshadow a high-scoring game between two of the nation’s best offenses.

You can also check out the Rise and Hoop Podcast where I previewed BYU-Wisconsin.

BYU and Wisconsin by the Numbers

Wisconsin KenPom: 13

NET: 15

AP Rank: 13

Record: 27-9 (13-7 Big 10)

Notable Wins: Arizona (H), UCF (N), PItt (N), Iowa (H/A), Rutgers (A), Minnesota (H/A), Ohio State (H), USC (A), Nebraska (H), Northwestern (A/N), Indiana (H), Purdue (A), Illinois (H), Washington (H), Michigan State (N), UCLA (N), Montana (N)

Losses: Michigan (H/N), Marquette (A), Illinois (A), UCLA (A), Maryland (A), Oregon (H), Michigan State (A), Penn State (H)

BYU KenPom: 23

NET: 25

AP Rank: 17

Record: 25-8 (14-6 Big 12)

Notable Wins: NC State (N), Wyoming (N), Arizona State (H/A), Oklahoma State (H), Colorado (A), Cincinnati (H), Baylor (H), UCF (A), West Virginia (A), Kansas State (H), Kansas (H), Arizona (A), West Virginia (H), Iowa State (A/N), Utah (H), VCU (N)

Losses: Ole Miss (N), Providence (A), Houston (A/N), Texas Tech (H), TCU (A), Utah (A), Arizona (H), Cincinnati (A)

KenPom Prediction: Wisconsin 76, BYU 74 — Wisconsin 58% win probability

FanDuel Spread: Wisconsin -1.5

Point Total: 154.5

Wisconsin Overview

The Badgers are one of the best offensive teams in the nation. The top player to watch is sixth-year senior John Tonje, who was one of two unanimous First-Team All Big 10 selections. The 6-foot-5 guard averages 19 points and 5 rebounds on 46% shooting from the field and 39% from three. Tonje can score in a variety of ways — he averages 6 three-point attempts per game and is adept at drawing fouls and getting to the line. Tonje is 34th nationally in fouls drawn per 40 minutes, and averages 6.5 free throw attempts per game and shoots 91% from the foul line. I believe Tonje is the best guard BYU will have seen up to this point. VJ Edgecombe is a top 5 pick and played great versus BYU, but isn’t as productive as Tonje, and Caleb Love isn’t as consistent Tonje.

Wisconsin’s three starting guards go 6-foot-5, 6-foot-4, and 6-foot-4. John Blackwell is the Badgers second-leading scorer at 15.6 ppg and forms a great duo with Tonje. The sophomore guard shoots 32% from distance and is more streaky than Tonje, but he’s had multiple games this year where he’s made 4+ threes.

What makes Wisconsin different than any other team BYU has seen is the skill set of their starting frontcourt. UW’s two frontcourt starters are 7-foot fifth-year senior Steven Crowl and 6-foot-11 sophomore Nolan Winter. Both players average just under 10 points per game and are adept three-point shooters. Crowl shoots 42% from three on two attempts per game and Winter shoots 37% from three on 2.6 attempts per game. BYU has not seen a frontcourt with that size AND ability to shoot from three.

Wisconsin doesn’t really rely much on their bench for scoring, but they typically run an 8-man rotation. 6-foot senior guard Kamari McGee is leading scorer off the bench with 6.7 ppg and shoots 46% from three.

As a whole, offense is the strength of this Wisconsin team. They rank 13th nationally in KenPom offensive efficiency and rely on the three ball. BYU shoots the most threes in the Big 12 and Wisconsin shoots the most in the Big 10; nearly half the field goal attempts for both teams are from three. Wisconsin shoots 34.8% from three, which is 123 nationally, while BYU shoots 37% from distance.

The Badgers are the best free throw shooting team in the country, shooting 82.7% from the foul line. Five of their top six scorers shoot at least 80% from the line. One component that is not part of Wisconsin’s offense is offensive rebounding. The Badgers rebound 28% of their misses, which is 237 nationally in offensive rebound percentage. VCU ranked 12th nationally in offensive rebound percentage going into the BYU game, rebounding more than 36% of their misses.

The Badgers are known for their offensive, but their defensive ratings are stout. In fact, Wisconsin ranks 24th nationally in KenPom defensive efficiency, which is three spots ahead of VCU. Wisconsin’s defensive philosophy is completely different than VCU’s.

VCU is a pressure defense who relied on forcing turnovers, and that is not UW’s identity. Wisconsin has one of the lowest defensive turnover percentages nationally, ranking 332 with a 14.4% defensive turnover percentage. What the Badgers do well is rebound and protect the rim. They don’t get many blocks, but their two seven footers can congest the paint and make shots difficult around the rim. In addition to not forcing turnovers, Wisconsin can be a susceptible at times to the three ball. Wisconsin in Big 10 play allowed opponents to shoot 35% from three, which was 12th in the Big 10.

Four Under-the-Radar Storylines

Keba Keita vs UW Frontcourt

I am fascinated to see how Kevin Young uses Keba Keita this game. Wisconsin’s front court is skilled and neither starters are statues, but they aren’t athletic like most of the Big 12 frontcourts; they are a stereotypical Big 10 frontcourt is some ways.

I imagine Kevin Young will spread the floor with three shooters and then ruthlessly put Egor Demin and Keba Keita in PNR situations to see if 7-foot, 250 pound center Steven Crowl can cover the space to slow down Egor and cover Keba. In BYU’s blowout win over Kansas, Keba abused Hunter Dickinson in PNR situations and Dicksinson; I imagine BYU will try to do the same versus the Badgers. Wisconsin has seen some really good big men in the Big 10, but no one with the athleticism that Keba has.

Will Boskovic get more minutes?

Fouss will get minutes and I think he will be successful. Wisconsin doesn’t double-team the post a ton, and I trust Fouss to score one-one-one versus just about anyone in the country. Fouss has showed he can score against bigger players one-and-one. Boskovic could get some more run here though for defensive purposes. Both Wisconsin bigs can shoot the three, and Boskovic could get some minutes if Fouss struggles to get out on the perimeter. Boskovic is more adept there and wouldn’t give up a ton of size down low. I expect Fouss to get a healthy dosage of minutes, but I think Boskovic carves out a role this game.

Can Mawot Mag slow down John Tonje?

Mag had the main assignment on A10 POY Max Shulga and had Shulga in a straight jacket. Shulga had zero two-point attempts and was uncomfortable all game when guarded by Mag. Mag has been matched up against top opposing guards all year and has routinely slowed them down. Tonje may be his toughest test yet. If Mag can make Tonje take difficult shots and/or limit his attempts, he may be the top reason why BYU is able to come out with a victory.

Is Kanon Catchings an under-the-radar x-factor?

Catchings came through in Big 12 play when it was not expected. In his three conference games with double-digit points, he had multiple games preceding with single-digit outputs. Catchings played four minutes versus VCU to at least get his feet coming off his knee injury versus West Virginia a few weeks ago. I’m not counting on Kanon to come through big, but he has some things going in his favor. Kevin Young is all about exploiting mismatches, and Kanon can do that versus Wisconsin. Nate Winter is 6-foot-11 and plays the four in Wisconsin’s starting lineup. I could see KY putting in Kanon to force that matchup and then give Kanon some off-ball screening action to force Winter to chase him around the perimeter. That isn’t Winter’s strong suit and could open up a handful of Kanon looks. Even two threes from Kanon could be a difference in this game. So if you want a deep cut x-factor, I’ll go with Kanon Catchings.

Prediction

VCU stylistically on paper was a tougher matchup for BYU than Wisconsin, but the Badgers are a better team and will be a tougher game for BYU. Their offense is as good as BYU has seen this season and their defense is big and sound.

I expect a offensive-centric game versus two offenses that rank top 15 nationally. Both teams are playing well and this could prove to be the most entertaining second round game. John Tonje presents a huge challenge for BYU and could single-handedly win this game.

Since I force myself to pick a winner, I’ll side with BYU for some of the reasons I highlighted above. 1) I think Mag can slow down Tonje just enough to prevent him from taking over this game, 2) Keba can present matchup problems to Wisconsin’s front court, and 3) Wisconsin’s lack of defensive pressure will give BYU additional shot attempts and allow Egor Demin and Dallin Hall to play a bit more free.

Prediction: BYU 85, Wisconsin 83

*Record Straight Up: 26-8

*Record Against the Spread: 18-16

* I’ll make a prediction for every game and track my record through the season

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Wisconsin judge found guilty of obstruction for helping an immigrant evade federal agents | CNN Politics

Published

10 hours ago

December 18, 2025

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Wisconsin judge found guilty of obstruction for helping an immigrant evade federal agents | CNN Politics

AP
—

A jury found a Wisconsin judge – accused of helping an undocumented immigrant dodge federal authorities – guilty of obstruction Thursday, marking a victory for President Donald Trump as he continues his sweeping immigration crackdown across the country.

Federal prosecutors charged Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan with obstruction, a felony, and concealing an individual to prevent arrest, a misdemeanor, in April. The jury acquitted her on the concealment count, but she still faces up to five years in prison on the obstruction count.

The jury returned the verdicts after deliberating for six hours. Dugan faces up to five years in prison when she’s sentenced, but no date had been set as of late Thursday evening.

Dugan and her attorneys left the courtroom Thursday, ducked into a side conference room and closed the door without speaking to reporters. Steve Biskupic, her lead attorney, later told reporters that he was disappointed with the ruling and didn’t understand how the jury could have reached a split verdict since the elements of both charges were virtually the same.

US Attorney Brad Schimel denied the case was political and urged people to accept the verdict peacefully. He said courthouse arrests are safer because people are screened for weapons and it isn’t unfair for law enforcement to arrest wanted people in courthouses.

“Some have sought to make this about a larger political battle,” Schimel said. “While this case is serious for all involved, it is ultimately about a single day, a single bad day, in a public courthouse. The defendant is certainly not evil. Nor is she a martyr for some greater cause.”

According to court filings that include an FBI affidavit and a federal grand jury indictment, immigration authorities traveled to the Milwaukee County courthouse on April 18 after learning 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz had reentered the country illegally and was scheduled to appear before Dugan for a hearing in a state battery case.

Dugan learned that agents were in the corridor outside her courtroom waiting for Flores-Ruiz. She left the courtroom to confront them, falsely telling that their administrative warrant for Flores-Ruiz wasn’t sufficient grounds to arrest him and directing them to go to the chief judge’s office.

While the agents were gone, she addressed Flores-Ruiz’s case off the record, told his attorney that he could attend his next hearing via Zoom and led Flores-Ruiz and the attorney out a private jury door. Agents spotted Flores-Ruiz in the corridor, followed him outside and arrested him after a foot chase. The US Department of Homeland Security announced in November he had been deported.

The case inflamed tensions over Trump’s immigration crackdown, with his administration branding Dugan an activist judge and Democrats countering that the administration was trying to make an example of Dugan to blunt judicial opposition to the operation.

Prosecutors worked during Dugan’s trial to show that she directed agents to the chief judge’s office to create an opening for Flores-Ruiz to escape.

Prosecutors also played audio recordings from her courtroom in which she can be heard telling her court reporter that she’d take “the heat” for leading Flores-Ruiz out the back.

Her attorneys countered that she was trying to follow courthouse protocols that called for court employees to report any immigration agents to their supervisors and she didn’t intentionally try to obstruct the arrest team.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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Wisconsin students can soon use Pell Grants to enroll in short-term programs

Published

22 hours ago

December 18, 2025

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Wisconsin students can soon use Pell Grants to enroll in short-term programs

Wisconsin students enrolled in short-term, workforce training programs will soon be able to use federal grants to pay their tuition.

Millions of low-income students rely on Pell Grants to pay for college, including more than 70,000 in Wisconsin. The awards have long been limited to courses that span a minimum of 15 weeks or 600 “clock hours.”

The Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed into law this summer will extend Pell Grant eligiblity to include short-term nondegree programs as short as eight weeks beginning July 1, 2026. The expansion is the largest in decades, making programs previously paid out of pocket – from truck drivers to machinists to nursing assistants – more affordable to students.

These types of programs are mostly offered by community and technical colleges, which have long lobbied for the change. They are studying their programs and deciding which need adjustments ahead of the eligibility expansion.

“Opening up financial aid and making financial aid policy more flexible and relevant to how folks are accessing workplace today, I think it has the potential to be really exciting,” said Wisconsin Technical College System President Layla Merrifield. “How do we bundle these skills? How do we construct these programs and get students a credential that’s very relevant to their field that could potentially provide a great on-ramp to a further credential later on?”

Some education policy experts have reservations about the financial aid expansion and whether it will deliver for students. There’s concern about online training programs and for-profit institutions, some of which have a pattern of predatory practices and poor graduation outcomes. Research also shows short-term programs lead to less upward mobility and lower long-term earnings for students than associate or bachelor’s degrees.

“There is a big risk here,” said Wesley Whistle, the higher education project director at New America, a left-leaning think tank. “An eight-week program is really easy to crank out lots of people. You could have a lot of low-quality programs that don’t lead to much. Students could waste their time, exhaust their Pell eligibility and be left without the right skills to succeed in the workforce. That’s my worry.”

Short implementation timeline, outcome requirements among Workforce Pell challenges

Advocates say the proposed regulations approved Dec. 12 by the federal education department include accountability measures to prevent programs from taking advantage of students and wasting taxpayer money.

The programs must be run by an accredited institution of higher education, and be offered for more than one year before being approved. States must track outcomes, requiring programs meet a 70% completion and job-placement rate, and demonstrate they lead to in-demand, high-wage jobs.

The law includes no additional funding for states to take on the new role of approving individual programs, a worry of Whistle’s.

The tight timeline is also a concern to him. States could quickly throw together an approval process and never again look at it. Whistle advocated for states to start with a pilot approach and reassess in the coming years. He also suggested they creatively leverage state funding to target specific programs that serve high workforce needs.

“This could actually be a moment where we have laboratories for democracy,” Whistle said. “To see what works and what doesn’t.”

Merrifield said technical colleges are working closely with the state Department of Workforce Development on program approvals. She said she’d love to see the expansion in place for fall 2026 but it may realistically take a little longer than that.

Wisconsin technical colleges take stock of programs

State technical colleges already have some programs that will qualify for the expanded financial aid. But they are considering which ones to revamp.

Take the certified nursing assistant program, Merrifield offered as an example. Students pursuing their registered nursing degree earn their CNA as part of the program. But some students aren’t in the RN program and are seeking only their CNA.The program is 75 hours, which is not enough to meet the new financial aid criteria.

Do technical colleges keep the program short, meaning students continue paying out of pocket? Or do they overhaul it, add skills that hospitals and medical facilities may be looking for and allow students to qualify for Pell Grants?

“There’s potential to re-examine why is it that we package skills the way that we do,”Merrifield said. “What is it that employers are really loooking for in the marketplace?”

Merrifield said manufacturing and agriculture programs may also be ripe for revamp.

Milwaukee Area Technical College has identified eight technical diploma programs that will qualify for a Pell Grant under the expansion, said Barbara Cannell, the executive dean of academic systems and integrity. The programs include nail technician, office technology assistant, real estate broker associate, truck driver training, IT user support technician and food service assistant.

MATC has a number of other programs, mostly certificates, that are too short to qualify for the expansion, she said. College officials are deciding whether to keep the programs as-is or tweak them to allow students to qualify for Pell Grants.

Both Cannell and Merrifield see the Pell Grant expansion as a way to make work-force training more accessible to nontraditional students.

“This opens the door to populations of students who just never saw themselves in that way before,” Merrifield said.

Kelly Meyerhofer has covered higher education in Wisconsin since 2018. Contact her at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer.

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Wisconsin to receive $750k in multistate Menards settlement

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2025

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Wisconsin to receive 0k in multistate Menards settlement

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – A more than $4 million multistate settlement was reached with Menards Wednesday over deceptive rebate advertising and price gouging, Wisconsin officials announced Wednesday.

Attorney General Josh Kaul and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection said the settlement resolves claims that Menards falsely marketed its merchandise credit check program, also known as the Menards’ 11% Rebate Program, and allowed price gouging during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wisconsin will receive $750,000 in the settlement, according to DATCP.

“Figuring out how much you’ll have to pay to buy something should be straightforward,” Kaul said. “It shouldn’t be an adventure.”

Investigators involved in the multi-state lawsuit, which included Illinois and Minnesota, reviewed several aspects of Menards’ sales practices.

Wisconsin officials said investigators reviewed allegations that Menards’ use of the 11% off rebate program falsely claimed a point-of purchase discount, when the home improvement chain only offered in-store merchandise credit for future use, among other advertising claims.

Officials also investigated price gouging on four-gallon bottles of purified water at two locations in Wisconsin, including in Johnson Creek.

As part of the settlement, Menards will need to follow several advertising and sales practices. The terms, noted by DATCP, are as follows (wording theirs):

Not advertising or representing that any program that offers store credit for making purchases at Menards provides consumers with a point-of-purchase discount;
Clearly and conspicuously disclosing material limitations of the rebate program and disclosing all applicable terms and conditions of the rebate program in a readily available manner;
Investigating whether and to what extent it can offer a process by which consumers can safely and securely submit rebate application forms and receipts online;
Investigating whether and to what extent it can offer a process by which consumers can safely and securely redeem their rebate for online purchases;
Clearly and conspicuously disclosing that Menards is doing business as Rebates International;
Allowing consumers at least one year from the date of purchase to submit a rebate claim;
Updating their online rebate tracker with information about the rebate claim within 48 hours of the application being input into Menards’ system;
Updating their online rebate tracker with additional information about the rebate, including updates about returns affecting the rebate; and
Not engaging in price gouging during a period of abnormal economic disruption.