Wisconsin

Notes: Pending Rule Changes Could Change Wisconsin's 2025-26 Roster

Published

1 day ago

January 25, 2025

Notes: Pending Rule Changes Could Change Wisconsin’s 2025-26 Roster

MADISON, Wis. – Between preparing for a rugged Big Ten conference schedule and flights across the country, Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard hasn’t put too much thought into new rules and pending legislation.

It’s on the radar though, and could change how Division-1 basketball programs operate from scheduling to roster construction.

“There’s a lot of things that are coming here,” Gard said.

Naturally, the new rules center around Name, Image, and Likeness. The NCAA Division-1 Board of Directors is reportedly considering a rule change that would grant student-athletes five years of eligibility across all sports, a change from the current model of athletes having five years to play four. An injury waiver granted by the NCAA can add an extra eligibility year.

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein first reported the potential change.

Athletes participating in the winter championship season and the spring season of 2020-21 were given a blanket waiver due to their year being interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In most cases, that blanket waiver ends this year.

The proposed rule change would eliminate the need for redshirts and waivers, not to mention reshape roster construction.

The Board of Directors already made one major change in December by approving a blanket waiver granting an additional year of eligibility to all former junior college players. The waiver only applies to the 2025-26 season for athletes who competed at a non-NCAA school for at least one year and have exhausted their NCAA eligibility.

The change stems from Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia filing a lawsuit against the NCAA, arguing the eligibility rules violate antitrust law. Pavia argued that he couldn’t profit off his name, image, and likeness during his two seasons playing at the junior college level for New Mexico Military Institute.

While the blanket waiver for non-junior college players hasn’t been formally discussed, unlikely to happen before the impending approval of the House antitrust settlement in April that would start athlete revenue sharing, the news of that potential has already filtered down to players who potentially would be interested in that opportunity.

“We don’t know where this is going to go,” Gard said about the fifth year. “Is it going to get voted on? Is it going to get resolved because it impacts the computation and assembly of your future roster. We got to get answers to that. The players need to know, too.”

Of the six seniors set to graduate on Wisconsin’s roster, guard Kamari McGee and reserve forward Markus Ilver would be eligible.

“In the era we’re in right now, where there is such a transient nature and with the objective to obviously win games, how do you win games? You have to stay old and mature,” Gard said. “In years gone by, there was a different way of doing it where you had redshirt, you could incubate and develop. All of a sudden, three years into somebody’s career, they pop up … Now we’re in a different era where staying old comes through other sources.”

One change that has already passed was the Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee approving a proposal to allow teams to play up to two preseason exhibition games against any four-year school, including Division I teams.

The change is effective beginning next season and eliminates the requirement that preseason practice scrimmages be conducted in private and without official scoring, the so-called “secret scrimmages.”

Wisconsin has typically played one closed-door scrimmage and hosted one Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference school since 2011. The Badgers hosted UW-River Falls for their exhibition game and scrimmaged Northern Iowa in Platteville.

Gard said UW- UW-Platteville will be the in-state opponent in the rotation next season and will combine with Gard’s foundation – Garding against Cancer – having events in that area of the state. Gard’s younger brother, Jeff, is in his 16th season coaching the Pioneers.

Analyzing what to do with the second exhibition game won’t be talked about until spring, according to Gard, who would still like to see more exhibition games be added.

“My stance on that is still the same that I think more would be beneficial versus practicing,” Gard said. “We’re practicing for 30 days anyway. What difference does it make if we have a closed scrimmage (or) an open scrimmage? Just the opportunity to learn more against outside competition is valuable.”

Homecoming of Sorts for Tonje

While the return of former Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian will be a sidebar to tomorrow’s home game between the Badgers (15-4, 5-3 Big Ten) and Nebraska (12-7, 2-6), but it will also be John Tonje’s first opportunity to play the Huskers.

Hailing from North Omaha, Nebraska, and going to Omaha Central High School, Tonje averaged a Nebraska Class A state-best 23.8 points along with 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.4 assists per game for the Eagles, leading them to a 22-6 overall record, 11-3 in conference and runner-up finish in the state tournament. He shot 50 percent from the field, 38 percent from the three-point arc, with his 73 triples leading Class A, and 82 percent at the free-throw line, also best in Class A

In his college career, Tonje has played against Nebraska college’s Creighton, Doane College, Omaha, and Peru College but never the Huskers, who didn’t recruit him.

“I guess I got this game has a little extra excitement being the hometown kid,” Tonje said. “I wasn’t highly recruited out of high school. They weren’t one of the teams that recruited me. It is what it is. I’m happy to be here.”

Special Sneakers

For Wisconsin’s next three games, Gard and his staff will celebrate the Coaches vs. Cancer event “Suits and Sneakers” by wearing special sneakers painted by children battling cancer at the American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH).

Visiting the hospital in January before the Iowa game, Gard and the team visited the hospital to spend time with the children and decorate the shoes, including a young patient named Emmett who decorated Gard’s shoes.

“I think that more than anything, it’s going to be really neat to see those and to wear those, knowing that they were individually designed by those kids that are going through really hard time,” Gard said. “Hopefully the visits that we made to the hospital to spend time with them and them getting a chance to see their artwork on display on national TV next week will give them a reprieve, kind of an escape that they have to deal with every day.”

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin 83-55 Nebraska (Jan 26, 2025) Game Recap – ESPN

Published

55 minutes ago

January 26, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin 83-55 Nebraska (Jan 26, 2025) Game Recap – ESPN

MADISON, Wis. — — John Tonje scored 27 points and No. 18 Wisconsin never trailed while routing Nebraska 83-55 on Sunday to hand the Cornhuskers their sixth consecutive loss.

Wisconsin (16-4, 6-3 Big Ten) bounced back from an 85-83 loss at UCLA that snapped a seven-game winning streak.

Wisconsin grabbed a 19-2 lead less than five minutes into the game by shooting 7 of 8 from the floor and 5 of 6 on 3-pointers. Nebraska responded with a 19-5 spurt that included Wisconsin going scoreless for over six minutes, but the Badgers answered with a 16-2 run and never looked back.

John Blackwell scored 14 points and Kamari McGee added 11 for Wisconsin.

Brice Williams had 11 points to lead Nebraska (12-8, 2-7). Wisconsin transfer Connor Essegian scored eight points while facing his former team for the first time.

Takeaways

Nebraska: In four of its losses during this skid, Nebraska was within one possession in the final 10 seconds of regulation time. But this game wasn’t competitive, even as the slumping Cornhuskers shuffled their lineup by giving Sam Hoiberg and Andrew Morgan their first starts of the season.

Wisconsin: The Badgers are in the midst of an eight-game stretch in which they play at home only twice, so they need to make the most of these rare Kohl Center appearances. They did just that Sunday.

Key moment

Wisconsin led 25-21 when Jack Janicki converted a steal into a dunk on the other end with less than five minutes left in the first half. Janicki’s big play sparked a 16-2 spurt that gave Wisconsin a 17-point advantage.

Key stats

Wisconsin shot 17 of 37 from 3-point range to match its third-highest, single-game total for 3-pointers in school history.

Up next

Wisconsin visits Maryland on Wednesday. Nebraska is at No. 17 Illinois on Thursday.

——

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP collegebasketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Wisconsin

What channel is Wisconsin vs Nebraska on today? Time, TV schedule, streaming, odds

Published

12 hours ago

January 26, 2025

Press Room

What channel is Wisconsin vs Nebraska on today? Time, TV schedule, streaming, odds

After splitting a two-game road trip in Los Angeles, the Wisconsin Badgers make a quick stop back in Madison on Sunday to face struggling Nebraska.

UW had a seven-game winning streak snapped at UCLA Tuesday night after John Blackwell’s last-shot attempt was blocked.

Though the No. 18 Badgers (15-4 overall, 5-3 in the Big Ten) have won seven of the last 10 meetings with the Cornhuskers, they’ve lost three of the last four, including giving up an 18-point lead in their last game, in Lincoln last season when UW was ranked No. 6.

Watch Wisconsin vs Nebraska on FUBO

Nebraska (12-7, 2-6) has lost five straight games after starting the season 12-2. Former Badger Connor Essegian is shooting over 41.5% from three-point range and averaging 11.5 points per game. He’s scored in double figures in three of his last four games. Brice Williams is the fifth-leading scorer in the Big Ten at 18.5 points per game.

Despite Tuesday’s loss, the Badgers are one of seven Big Ten teams averaging over 80 points a game. UW continues to lead the nation in free throw percentage at 85.5% and John Tonje is sixth individually at 93%.

Sunday is one of only two games at the Kohl Center for the Badgers between now and Feb. 18. Here’s how to watch the game:

What channel is Wisconsin vs Nebraska on today?

TV: BTN.
Stream: You can stream the game on the Fox Sports app through your television carrier. Also, FUBO has a free trial for new subscribers.
Announcers: Kevin Kugler and Stephen Bardo will call the game.

Wisconsin vs Nebraska time today

Date: Sunday, Jan. 26
Time: Noon

The Wisconsin vs. Nebraska game starts at noon at the Kohl Center in Madison.

How can I listen to Wisconsin vs Nebraska on the radio?

FM-97.3 in Milwaukee and AM-1310 and FM-101.5 in Madison and on the Varsity Network app.
Matt Lepay (play-by-play) and Brian Butch (analyst) will call the game.

Is Wisconsin vs Nebraska on SiriusXM Radio?

Yes, the Wisconsin broadcast is on Channel 383. The Nebraska broadcast is on Channel 372.

Wisconsin vs Nebraska odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Sunday

ODDS: Wisconsin by 7.5
O/U: 151.5

Wisconsin Badgers basketball schedule 2024-25

All times Central

Nov. 4: Wisconsin 85, Holy Cross 61 | Box score | 1-0
Nov. 7: Wisconsin 79, Montana State 67 | Box score | 2-0
Nov. 10: Wisconsin 81, Pittsburgh 75 | Box score | 7-0
Nov. 30: Wisconsin 74, Chicago State 53 | Box score | 8-0
Dec. 3: Michigan 67, Wisconsin 64 | Box score | 8-1, 0-1 Big Ten
Dec. 7: Marquette 88, Wisconsin 74 | Box score | 8-2
Dec. 10: Illinois 86, Wisconsin 80 | Box score | 8-3, 0-2
Dec. 14: Wisconsin 83, Butler 74 | Box score | 9-3
Dec. 22: Wisconsin 76, Detroit Mercy 53 | Box score | 10-3
Jan. 3: Wisconsin 116, Iowa 85 | Box score | 11-3, 1-2
Jan. 6: Wisconsin 75, Rutgers 63 | Box score | 12-3, 2-2
Jan. 10: Wisconsin 80, Minnesota 59 | Box score | 13-3, 3-2
Jan. 14: Wisconsin 70, Ohio State 68 | Box score | 14-3, 4-2
Jan. 18: Wisconsin 84, USC 69 | Box score | 15-3, 5-2
Jan. 21: UCLA 85, Wisconsin 83 | Box score | 15-4, 5-3
Jan. 26: Nebraska, noon
Jan. 29: at Maryland, 6 p.m.
Feb. 1: at Northwestern, 1 p.m.
Feb. 4: Indiana, 8 p.m.
Feb. 8: at Iowa, noon
Feb. 15: at Purdue, noon
Feb. 18: Illinois, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 22: Oregon, 11 a.m.
Feb. 25: Washington, 8 p.m.
March 2: at Michigan State, 12:30 p.m.
March 5: at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
March 8: Penn State, noon
March 12-16: Big Ten tournament, Indianapolis
Record: 15-4, 5-3 Big Ten

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Wisconsin men’s hockey keeps scrapping against ranked foes, taking ‘baby steps’ in playoff quest

Published

20 hours ago

January 26, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin men’s hockey keeps scrapping against ranked foes, taking ‘baby steps’ in playoff quest

MADISON – When the story is finally written on this Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey season, the chapter about having trouble winning in overtime will be the longest.

They added another page Saturday.

But their ability to find positives and be resilient also will be a valuable passage.

“I think we should be really proud of ourselves,” UW defenseman Ben Dexheimer said after the Badgers earned a 4-4 tie with 10th-ranked Michigan at the Kohl Center.

“We got eight of 12 points against a top-10 team in the season series, and I think we’re taking baby steps every single weekend, building some momentum for the end of the year.”

After a 5-4 comeback victory Friday night, UW found itself in a two-goal deficit midway through the first period. After fighting back to tie in the second, the Badgers fell behind in the third again before Dexheimer poked in a bouncing puck in front of the net with less than four minutes left in regulation.

Neither team scored in the five-minute, three-on-three overtime period. Michigan freshman center Michael Hage put the puck past Wisconsin senior goaltender Tommy Scarfone in the third round of the shootout.

While a shootout doesn’t affect the teams’ records, the winning team does earn an extra point in the Big Ten standings.

The Badgers missed a chance to reach the .500 mark

Wisconsin, chasing a playoff berth after a 2-8 start, sits at 11-12-3 overall and 6-9-1 in league play. Michigan is 14-10-2 and 8-7-1.

The teams split in December in Ann Arbor, with the Wolverines’ victory coming in overtime.

UW has split six series with teams that were ranked at the time, including No. 1 Michigan State.

“We talk about the beginning of the year, you want to win series,” Badgers coach Mike Hastings said. “Obviously we want to win and we’d love to sweep teams. It’s difficult to do it for us, to put ourselves in that hole again and again.

“I credit Michigan. I thought they were better than we were in the first period, and then the guys went in and – you know what? – they went to work in the second period and got right back after it.”

Wisconsin sits 16^th in the Pairwise rankings, which approximate the formula used to decide the 16-team field for the NCAA Tournament.

Badgers’ top scorer Quinn Finley returns after scary injury

Quinn Finley, the sophomore from Suamico, was back in the lineup after being banged up in extracurriculars Friday, and he did what he so often does. Finley gave the Badgers a boost when his goal 4:46 into the second period cut the deficit to 3-2.

Finley, who has been the top-line left wing all season, entered the weekend series tied for the goal-scoring lead in NCAA Division I with 18.

He suffered an apparent upper body injury Friday night when he was pulled to the ice in a skirmish after the whistle early in the game. That brief appearance was only the fifth time he was held without a point this season.

A stone-faced Finley downplayed any doubt about his ability to play Saturday against an extremely physical opponent, but Hastings made it sound more like a minor miracle. UW needs what Finley provides.

“I give Quinn credit because obviously he’s not 100% so I think that says a lot about him and his intestinal fortitude to say, you know what, I need to play if I can play,” Hastings said. “Now our job and our medical staff’s job is to make sure that he’s not putting himself in a bad spot.

“And obviously him playing in the game, he had an impact in the game. That’s a big-time goal and a big-time moment in the game.”

Tommy Scarfone back in goal

After Hasting pulled struggling senior goaltender Tommy Scarfone midgame Friday, sophomore William Gramme got his first start of the season Saturday.

But Scarfone was off the bench early, this time after Gramme gave up three goals on five shots. Scarfone allowed only one goal, Evan Werner’s freaky go-ahead score that bounced off Dexheimer’s skate and into the net behind Scarfone as he stretched to his right for the initial save.

Tie leaves Wisconsin with a 2-6-3 overtime record

The Badgers have gone to overtime 11 times this season and have just two victories to show for it, the most recent Nov. 15 at Penn State.

The two most recent ties have come in a span of eight days, the previous against Long Island University a week ago. That was a nonconference game, so winning the shootout didn’t even gain Wisconsin a point.

What will it take for the Badgers to get over the hump after 60 mintues?

“I don’t know. Keep practicing it,” Finley said. “That’s something that we work on during the week. And obviously they didn’t score either. So we just got to get it done in overtime or in the shootout. Their goalie made three saves.”

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