Wisconsin
Purdue basketball opts for backup plan, results in beating Wisconsin
Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter on Braden Smith’s assist record
Hear what Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter said after beating Wisconsin Saturday, Jan. 3.
MADISON, Wisc. ― Matt Painter came to the Kohl Center armed with two different defensive strategies.
Purdue basketball opted for choice No. 2 after choice No. 1 resulted in the Badgers scoring 22 points in the first nine minutes.
A season after watching Wisconsin go 20-for-22 on two-point field goals at Mackey Arena, the Boilermakers were in the midst of seeing a repeat performance when the Badgers started 8 of 10 inside the arc Saturday, Jan 3.
“To start the game the first eight minutes, they were just living in the paint, making good decisions,” Painter said. “They got a lot of layups. Then we switched to hedging and tried to keep the ball out of there. There’s some risk either way. That seemed to help us.”
The final score ― Purdue 89, Wisconsin 73 ― would indicate as much.
When Painter sifted through a roster in the preseason he believes has more than five starters, Cox’s ability to win that gave him a nod.
Drills. Scrimmages. Whatever it was, Cox always seemed to be on the winning side.
“That matters,” Painter said prior to Purdue’s season opener in November.
Cox is a capable scorer, evidenced by his 14 points, but his main priority is defense.
In a first half where Cox watched four good looks come off the rim, the sophomore guard still maintained winning attributes that championship teams cherish. He had two steals in nine minutes, the first coming after Wisconsin scored on four straight possessions.
That allowed Purdue to counterpunch the Badger’s 9-2 run to start the game.
“When you can keep throwing those punches and keep battling back, eventually, you’re going to knock them out,” said senior guard Fletcher Loyer, who led the Boilers with 20 points.
Purdue has no shortage of offensive haymakers it can throw.
During its five-game winning streak, the Boilers have walled up opponents to match.
Purdue held four straight opponents to 60 or fewer points prior to Saturday night. Wisconsin’s strong start was a damper in that streak continuing, but Purdue was prepared.
WATCH Purdue basketball’s Braden Smith on Big Ten assist record, win streak
Hear what Purdue basketball point guard Braden Smith said after breaking Cassius Winston’s Big Ten assist record at Wisconsin Saturday, Jan 3.
The Badgers started 9 of 13 from the field and finished the night shooting 42.1% after being held to 31% in the second half. The easy twos became challenged 3s. Beyond the arc, Wisconsin went 4 of 25. Purdue finished with eight steals, three by Cox, and forced 11 turnovers.
Saturday’s game likely gets remembered at season’s end as the night Braden Smith broke the Big Ten’s career assist record.
What will get lost is a defensive adaptation that altered how the final 30-plus minutes went in a road win that can be as valuable as found gold in a Big Ten championship quest.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
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.
How Aleksas Bieliauskas has grown in first season with Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard has high praise for Aleksas Bieliauskas about a month into the Lithuania native’s freshman season.
MADISON – One of Wisconsin men’s basketball’s departing transfers is headed to an SEC program with some connections to the Badgers.
Ex-UW forward Aleksas Bieliauskas has committed to South Carolina, he announced on April 17.
Bieliauskas left the Badgers after appearing in all 35 games as a freshman and making 28 starts. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.4 points in 20.2 minutes, and highlights of his freshman year included his five 3-pointers in UW’s upset over eventual national champion Michigan.
He’ll join a program with plenty of Wisconsin ties. South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris was an assistant coach at Wisconsin from 2010-17 on Bo Ryan and Greg Gard’s staffs. South Carolina assistant coach Tanner Bronson and director of video services Roman DiPasquale also are UW alumni.
Bieliauskas is the second of UW’s four departing transfers to commit to a new school. Reserve forward Jack Robison committed to North Dakota State on April 15. Starting guard John Blackwell and reserve forward Riccardo Greppi have not announced their next schools yet.
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