Wisconsin
House passes aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Here’s how Wisconsin’s delegation voted
WASHINGTON – The House on Saturday passed a $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, ending a monthslong delay to act on the assistance over objections from some on Republicans’ right flank.
Lawmakers approved the measures, which were voted on individually, to support the three nations with broad bipartisan support. A fourth bill that includes sanctions on Iran, provisions to seize Russian assets and Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher’s legislation that could ban the video sharing app TikTok in the U.S., also passed.
The legislation is similar to an aid package the Senate passed in February, but Speaker Mike Johnson broke the assistance into individual bills to get support from different factions of his conference — allowing members to oppose certain measures without sinking the entire proposal. The strategy garnered support from Wisconsin’s lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The bills will now be combined and sent to the Senate, where it is expected to pass.
The package includes $60.8 billion in aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia; $26.3 billion to Israel as it battles Hamas, including about $9 billion in global humanitarian assistance; and just over $8 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific in an effort to deter China’s threat to the region.
Its passage ends months of delays and uncertainty over whether Congress could pass the assistance as a group of Republicans in both the House and Senate have rejected the idea of providing more assistance to Ukraine. Some, including those in Wisconsin’s delegation, have called for aid to Kyiv to be tied to U.S.-Mexico border provisions. Supporters of the Ukraine aid, meanwhile, have noted the country is running out of ammunition to fight back against Russia.
Johnson, the House speaker, pushed forward with the legislation as he faced threats from those on the far right of his conference to remove him from his post should he put additional assistance to Ukraine up to a vote. Those threats still loomed large Saturday afternoon.
“We can’t play politics with this, we have to do the right thing,” Johnson told reporters this week, referencing Ukraine funding. “I’m going to allow every single member of the House to vote their conscience and their will.”
He added of aid to the country: “To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys.”
Wisconsin’s lawmakers on Saturday were split over the measures.
Gallagher, who had planned to leave Congress on Friday, extend wshis tenure through to support the legislation Saturday. He was the only Wisconsin Republican to vote in favor of aid to Ukraine.
Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan, for example, has rejected providing more offensive capabilities to Israel as the civilian death toll in Gaza continues to grow. And Republicans like Rep. Tom Tiffany have opposed sending more assistance to Ukraine. He and Reps. Glenn Grothman and Scott Fitzgerald told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this week they wanted to see border legislation added to the package.
“$95 billion in FOREIGN aid with NOTHING to stop the FOREIGN invasion of our own country,” Tiffany tweeted Friday, after opposing a procedural move to proceed to debate on the entire package. “America’s border security should come FIRST.”
Here’s how Wisconsin’s House delegation voted Saturday (a yes vote means a lawmaker voted in favor of the legislation):
Aid to Ukraine
The more than $60 billion aid to Kyiv passed the House on an 311-112 vote.
Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R) — No
Rep Mike Gallagher (R) — Yes
Rep. Glenn Grothman (R) — No
Rep. Gwen Moore (D) — Yes
Rep. Mark Pocan (D) — Yes
Rep. Bryan Steil (R) — No
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R) — No
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R) — No
Aid to Israel
The bill to provide $26.3 billion in aid to Israel passed on an 366-58 vote.
Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R) — Yes
Rep Mike Gallagher (R) — Yes
Rep. Glenn Grothman (R) — Yes
Rep. Gwen Moore (D) — Yes
Rep. Mark Pocan (D) — No
Rep. Bryan Steil (R) — Yes
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R) — No
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R) — Yes
Aid to Taiwan, Indo-Pacific
The $8 billion package to Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific passed the House on an 385-34 vote.
Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R) — Yes
Rep Mike Gallagher (R) — Yes
Rep. Glenn Grothman (R) — Yes
Rep. Gwen Moore (D) — Yes
Rep. Mark Pocan (D) — Yes
Rep. Bryan Steil (R) — Yes
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R) — No
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R) — Yes
A fourth bill, including TikTok measure
A fourth measure that included Gallagher’s proposal that would force TikTok’s Chinese parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the United States passed the House on an 360-58 vote.
Saturday’s Tik Tok provision was slightly different from a version the House passed last month. This measure extended the mandatory timeline for a forced sale of the app to a little under a year after the bill’s signing, up from roughly six months.
The legislation would also impose sanctions on Iran, and another provision would allow for the selling off of frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine’s fight.
Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R) — Yes
Rep Mike Gallagher (R) — Yes
Rep. Glenn Grothman (R) — Yes
Rep. Gwen Moore (D) — No
Rep. Mark Pocan (D) — No
Rep. Bryan Steil (R) — Yes
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R) — Yes
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R) — Yes
Murphy went down, and a two-minute penalty was called. Johnson was waving with a high right hand to play on, but then Gophers coach Brad Frost asked for a major review. It stayed two minutes and Frost lost his timeout.
That wasn’t the decisive moment in the pro-Minnesota view.
Ella Huber, Murphy’s senior center and also from the Chicago suburbs, was knocked down behind the Wisconsin net. There was an official standing there, and the Gophers reacted as if there might be a stoppage due to an injured player. Murphy had stopped there next to the prone Huber, and the Badgers used that two-skater advantage to make it 4-2 with two seconds left in the second.
Papa Ed Murphy, the blue-collar guy from Evergreen, Ill., on Chicago’s South Side border, with the daughter who plays with the feisty resolve of her home area, had been hopeful standing outside, two hours before the game.
“I think the Badgers can be beat, I really do,” he said.
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
DENVER – BYU basketball will face the No. 3 seed Wisconsin Badgers in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Late on Thursday night, after the first-round matchups concluded, tip times were announced for second-round games.
BYU vs. Wisconsin at 5:45 pm (MDT) on CBS https://t.co/233aLN6Xyo
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 21, 2025
No. 6 seed BYU will take on a network television stage against Wisconsin.
BYU vs Wisconsin on CBS
The second-round clash will tip off at 5:45 p.m. (MDT) and be televised on CBS. Check your local affiliates for channel information.
It’s the first time since 2021 that BYU is playing on CBS during the NCAA Tournament. BYU lost to UCLA four years ago in Indianapolis.
The Cougars are gearing up for their first appearance in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament since 2011.
BYU basketball knocked off No. 11 seed VCU on Thursday, 80-71, to advance to Saturday to face Wisconsin.
Wisconsin took down No. 14 seed Montana, 85-66, to advance to the second round of the “Big Dance.”
BYU and Wisconsin haven’t faced off in men’s basketball since a nonconference game in Illinois in the 2011-12 season.
Announcers for the game will include Brad Nessler as the play-by-play voice, with former North Carolina Tar Heel and 14-year NBA veteran Brendan Haywood as analyst. Dana Jacobson will handle the sidelines. The same announcers were on the call on Thursday during BYU’s win over VCy.
How to Stream BYU vs Wisconsin
You can watch every NCAA Tournament game on the March Madness Live App by logging in using your TV provider credentials.
Other streaming platforms that offer CBS include:
- YouTube TV
- Hulu + Live TV
- DirecTV Stream
- Sling
- Fubo
How To Listen To BYU Basketball in the NCAA Tournament
The radio call of BYU vs. Wisconsin can be heard on KSL NewsRadio in Utah at 102.7 FM and 1160 AM. There will be no streaming option on KSL NewsRadio apps or the website, only over the air.
BYU’s Voice of the Cougars, Greg Wrubell, and former BYU basketball player Mark Durrant will be on the call.
Extended pregame coverage of BYU vs. Wisconsin will begin at Noon (MDT) from Denver on KSL NewsRadio.
BYU vs. Wisconsin
Second Round – 2025 NCAA Tournament
Location: Denver, Colorado
Arena: Ball Arena
Tip-Off: 5:45 p.m. (MDT)
TV: CBS
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM in Utah)
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
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