Wisconsin
One injury update to note for Wisconsin’s potential NCAA Tournament matchup against BYU
Wisconsin basketball will look to ignite its first deep NCAA Tournament run in seven years when it takes the court against No. 14-seed Montana on Thursday.
The Badgers enter the first-round matchup as prohibitive favorites. It would be a shock if they failed to advance to Saturday’s second round, where they would play the winner of No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 VCU.
Wisconsin fans may want to keep the television tuned to TNT after Wisconsin’s opening game, that is if the Badgers advance. BYU and VCU will tip off from Denver, Colorado, less than an hour after the Badgers-Grizzlies game concludes. Notably, both teams are ranked better than their seed lines indicate. No. 6-seed BYU is No. 24 in KenPom and No. 11-seed VCU is No. 30. Wisconsin’s potential second-round matchup against the winner projects to be a significant challenge.
As we begin to peek ahead to what may follow, it’s worth noting both BYU and VCU’s health entering Thursday’s first round.
VCU has a clean injury report after its run to the A-10 Tournament title. BYU, meanwhile, has been without freshman forward Kanon Catchings (knee injury) since March 1. BYU coach Kevin Young told reporters on Sunday, as shared by KSL Sports, that Catchings remains ‘day to day’ entering the NCAA Tournament. His status is worth monitoring when the Cougars take the court on Thursday.
Catchings has missed BYU’s last four games, including its statement Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal win over Iowa State. The former top recruit, who entered the year with some NBA draft consideration, is averaging 7.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists on 41.2% shooting in 29 games (15 starts) this season. His signature performances include 23 points in an overtime win over Baylor on Jan. 28 and 14 in a win over Arizona on Feb. 22.
BYU is primarily led by forward Richie Saunders (16 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals per game) and likely NBA first-round draft pick guard Egor Demin (10.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists per game). The team boasts KenPom’s No. 11-ranked offensive efficiency — two spots ahead of the high-powered Wisconsin Badgers. A potential matchup between the two teams could be a fast-paced, high-scoring battle between two of the top offenses in the sport, led by several NBA hopefuls.
Wisconsin fans should monitor Catchings’ status as BYU takes the court against VCU on Thursday afternoon. His potential return to the lineup would give Young yet another high-ceiling scoring option on what is already a dynamic offense.
The Badgers will take the court against No. 14-seed Montana on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. ET, followed by No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 VCU at 4:10 p.m. ET. Both games will be broadcast on TNT, with the winners set to meet on Saturday (time TBD).
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About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry on Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.
It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) southwest of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.
“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said.
The sheriff’s department said a “significant” number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.
Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters did get through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.
However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.
Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.
FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.
On the scene in the morning
What we know:
Farmstead damage in Franklin
FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.
Storm damage in Caledonia
Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
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School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
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