Wisconsin

Trio of Minnesota-bred bigs help Wisconsin fell Purdue and its giant, Zach Edey

Published

2 years ago

March 16, 2024

Trio of Minnesota-bred bigs help Wisconsin fell Purdue and its giant, Zach Edey

The Wisconsin Badgers were winding up a celebration on the Target Center court after an upset victory over Purdue in the Big Ten semifinals Saturday afternoon.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers were arriving in the same tunnel for their pregame workout as the Badgers were drifting individually back to their locker room.

Max Klesmit had been interviewed near the court and was now heading up a ramp toward the smallish locker room assigned to the Badgers.

Through a large grin, Klesmit looked over to some reporters waiting to get into that locker room and said: “You’ve seen that before, Evan. You weren’t surprised, were you?”

Evan Flood, the Badgers’ on-site reporter for 24/7 Sports, assured Klesmit that he wasn’t shocked at Max’s heroics — a winning basket, 76-75, with 4.7 seconds left in overtime.

The Badgers had gone from 16-4 and a top-10 rating nationally to a five-week, 2-7 collapse that dropped them to fifth place in the Big Ten.

And now came this determined effort to knock off the regular-season champion, Purdue, and prove the cause had been righted entering the NCAA tournament. The Badgers were forced to endure Zach Edey’s overtime march to the free-throw line.

Edey is 7-foot-4, set to become the national player of the year for a second straight season and gets leaned on without a doubt.

Yet rarely has the giant in a contest been treated with such sympathy as was demonstrated by Saturday’s officiating crew of Jeff Anderson, Brian Dorsey and Rob Riley.

The Badgers had reached overtime when Tyler Wahl was inbounding from the high sideline. He waited to find Chucky Hepburn, and Hepburn laid it in with a half-tick left to cause overtime at 66-66.

Edey had gone 1-for-2 at the line late to allow the Badgers to tie the score with Hepburn’s drive.

Then, in that overtime, Edey became Steph Curry at the line — 8-for-8 on no-doubt free throws. In the process, Edey ran over Wahl, a fifth-year senior from Lakeville North, and was sent to the line. And 40 seconds later, Nolan Winter, a freshman from Lakeville North, nudged Edey and was disqualified with foul No. 5.

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We do make quite the fuss over the Badgers’ ability to bring in fine contributors from Minnesota, but on Saturday the locals with a Gophers allegiance in the building should have had empathy for our high school products in red.

Steven Crowl, the 7-footer from Eastview High with a year of eligibility remaining, and Edey were tangled two minutes into the first period.

Edey was called for a foul, and then the referees overreacted and assessed both Edey and Crowl technicals. A technical for bad behavior counts as a personal foul in college rules.

Boilermakers coach Matt Painter immediately sat Edey for most of the remainder of the first half, which no doubt benefitted the Badgers. Then again, Edey wound up playing 26 more minutes and did not get called for another foul.

By contrast, Crowl, Wahl and Winter all fouled out, with young Nolan — son of memorable Gophers of the past, Trevor Winter (basketball) and Heidi Olhausen (volleyball) — receiving his disqualification in eight minutes played.

And yet once the march to the line concluded, and Purdue’s Lance Jones missed one of two free throws and Hepburn made a terrific defensive play, it was 75-74 in favor of Purdue with 23 seconds left.

Klesmit would up with the ball on a cut and hit a runner in the lane, one hop off the rim and in. A Jones hope shot wasn’t close, and Wisconsin had the upset — 76-75, continuing the trend of No. 1 seeds in conference tournaments going down the tubes all around the country.

What did freshman Winter anticipate for himself when sharing leans with Edey and hearing a whistle?

“I wasn’t surprised at all that the fouls were on me,” Winter said. “He’s the national player of the year.”

How did Wahl analyze the moment when he stood like a statue waiting for Edey to move toward the basket, and Edey ran over him and shot two free throws?

The five-year Badger offered a slight smile and said: “The referees make the call they feel they have to make.”

A meat-grinder game for a grinding player — the reason you chose Wisconsin, no doubt?

“I came to Wisconsin to win games,” Wahl said. “And we’ll be trying to get another one tomorrow and win the Big Ten tournament.”

The Badgers haven’t done that since 2015, which was even before Nate Reuvers (2017-21) started their Lakeville North invasion.

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Wisconsin

When does Wisconsin volleyball play again? NCAA tournament next match

Published

7 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

When does Wisconsin volleyball play again? NCAA tournament next match

Start time yet to be announced for regional finals match

AUSTIN, Texas – Wisconsin volleyball will be spending two more days in Austin.

The Badgers ensured that with a four-set win over Stanford on Dec. 12 in the NCAA tournament regional semifinals. It was the eighth consecutive win in the regional semifinals for Kelly Sheffield’s group and its first-ever win over Stanford in program history.

Here’s what to know about Wisconsin’s next match:

Who will Wisconsin volleyball play next?

Wisconsin’s next match will be against top-seeded Texas in the NCAA tournament regional finals, with the winner advancing to the Final Four.

What time is Wisconsin volleyball’s next match?

The Wisconsin-Texas match will be on Sunday, Dec. 14. A time has not yet been announced, but it will either be at 2 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. CT.

How to watch Wisconsin-Texas NCAA tournament regional finals match?

NCAA volleyball tournament bracket for regional finals

Creighton vs. Kentucky on Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. in Lexington, Kentucky
Purdue vs. Pittsburgh on Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in Pittsburgh
Wisconsin vs. Texas on Dec. 14 in Austin
Winner of Nebraska/Kansas vs. winner of Louisville/Texas A&M on Dec. 14 in Lincoln, Nebraska

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Wisconsin

How tariffs are affecting Wisconsin’s real and artificial Christmas trees

Published

20 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

How tariffs are affecting Wisconsin’s real and artificial Christmas trees

Nearly all artificial Christmas trees in the world today are made in China. And with that comes an up to 30 percent tariff rate on imported Christmas products — including artificial trees.

Kris Reisdorf is co-president of the Racine- and Sturtevant-based home and garden store Milaeger’s. On WPR’s “Wisconsin Today,” Reisdorf said tariffs are affecting their prices on artificial trees, but she’s mitigating most of the rate hike through negotiations with manufacturers and by taking on lower profit margins herself.

“We are doing our fair share in making Christmas affordable,” Reisdorf said. “When the average person is thinking 30 percent (tariffs), that’s not by any means what they’re really paying.”

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Milaeger’s “almost real” trees range from under $100 to well over $3,000. Reisdorff said she’s raised prices for all artificial trees by only around $20 compared to last year.

Residorf said tree sales are largely stable despite the uptick in tariff pricing.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll last year found that 58 percent of Americans were buying artificial trees instead of real ones. That’s up from 40 percent in 2010.

Greg Hann owns Hann’s Christmas Farm in Oregon. Hann also sits on the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association Board and is president-elect of the National Christmas Tree Association.

Hann told “Wisconsin Today” the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 created a surge in business for real evergreen trees and that demand has been holding relatively steady ever since. That said, Hann acknowledged real Christmas tree sales are up for him and fellow growers this year. He attributed the increase in sales to the tariffs and the fact that farmers’ supplies are finally catching up to the higher demand brought on by COVID-19. Nearly all real trees come from the United States or Canada, according to Hann.

Hann said a recent survey by the National Christmas Tree Association found 84 percent of Christmas tree growers nationwide have kept prices the same over the last two years, and that includes his own farm. Being grown locally in Wisconsin, Hann said his business is largely unaffected by tariffs.

“It’s kind of nice to have a good supply with a stable price in this economy,” he said.

Reisdorf said that some artificial tree manufacturers are moving operations outside of China to places like Cambodia. But most other countries in the east are also facing tariff threats.

Instead, Reisdorf said artificial tree importers are lobbying President Donald Trump to lower his 30 percent tariffs on Christmas products like trees and ornaments, because those kinds of goods aren’t coming back to be made in the U.S.

Meanwhile, Hann said his organization is lobbying to have tariffs on artificial trees increased to 300 percent. He said the added tariff costs help create an “even playing field” between real and artificial trees, since farmers have to pay farm staff and cover fertilizer costs.

But it isn’t always about the cost. Reisdorf said artificial trees have the benefit of lasting “forever,” essentially.

Hann said many of his customers come to the farm looking to keep up the Christmas tradition of picking out their own family tree.

“They’re looking for that fragrance of a real tree,” he said. “They want to start that tradition of the family together. They pick the tree, they take it into their house.”

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin loses starting offensive lineman to the transfer portal

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin loses starting offensive lineman to the transfer portal

In a bit of a surprise, Wisconsin Badgers starting center Jake Renfro is using a medical hardship year and entering the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility.

Renfro, a sixth-year senior in 2024, battled numerous injuries this season, limiting him to only four games after having season-ending surgery. He was a full-time starter for Wisconsin in 2024 after missing the entire 2023 season except for the team’s bowl game due to injury.

Prior to his time at Wisconsin, Renfro had played for head coach Luke Fickell at Cincinnati for three seasons. He played in seven games as a freshman in 2020, making six starts at center. He then was the full-time starter as a sophomore in 2021, earning All-AAC honors before missing the entire 2022 season due to injury.

Now, he’s set to come back to college football for a seventh year, rather than turn pro, and will look to do so at another school.

“I want to thank Coach Fickell, the entire coaching and training staff, my teammates, and the University of Wisconsin for everything over the past three seasons,” Renfro wrote. “I am grateful for the support, development, friendships, and memories I have made during my time in Madison. After much prayer and consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal and use a medical hardship year to continue my college football journey. I will always appreciate my time as a Badger.”

Renfro was one of the biggest supporters of Fickell publicly, being a vocal leader on the team as the starting center.

With his departure, Wisconsin could need a new starting left tackle, left guard, and center next season, depending on whether Joe Brunner heads to the NFL or returns for another season.

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