Four takeaways from Big Ten Football Media Days
By Jake Powers | Jul. 31, 2015CHICAGO—With the Big Ten Media Days in Chicago coming to a close Friday, four key storylines dominated the flurry of questions the representatives from Wisconsin faced.
CHICAGO—With the Big Ten Media Days in Chicago coming to a close Friday, four key storylines dominated the flurry of questions the representatives from Wisconsin faced.
CHICAGO—Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez briefly addressed the university’s admissions process after highly regarded recruit Jordan Stevenson, a running back from Texas, was denied enrollment to UW based on academics last week.
Since first stepping on the UW-Madison campus as a student in the fall of 2013, I’ve had the good fortune of experiencing numerous memorable Badger sports moments that have helped create memories that will last a lifetime.
Wisconsin has become known for producing good, if not great, college running backs in the last two decades. These running backs have had some spectacular individual performances, but none were better than what Melvin Gordon accomplished last season. Gordon finished last year with 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns, but a major chunk of that yardage came in one game in November against Nebraska when he rushed for 408 yards, a single-game NCAA record.
There are certain moments in any sport that define a player’s career: Michael Jordan’s Flu Game in the 1997 NBA Finals, Derek Jeter’s walk-off hit in his final at-bat, Rafael Nadal’s grueling five-set win over Roger Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final. Nicole Bauman’s historic three-point barrage against Ohio State was her moment.
Wisconsin is not a college basketball blue-blood. As hard as it may be for Badger fans to hear, UW just doesn’t have the 50 or more years of success that teams like Kansas and UNC have enjoyed. However, the lack of elite status is one of the many things that made Wisconsin’s victory over Kentucky last season that much better.
Despite a national championship appearance for basketball and a successful 2014 football season, the 2015 Outback Bowl between the No. 18 Badgers and No. 19 Auburn Tigers proved to be the most memorable sports moment for me during my freshman year.
Facing a third-and-10 near midfield Sunday, Brett Favre rolled left, zipped a pass up the sideline and hit Dorsey Levens in stride, who raced into the end zone for the touchdown.
The Milwaukee Bucks will bring part of its training camp and an exhibition game to the Kohl Center this fall, representatives from the Bucks and Badgers announced Monday.
Early Monday afternoon, Badgers fans received news that they had long feared—the Bo Ryan era in Madison is coming to an end.
Since 2001, it’s been death, taxes and Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan. Starting after next season, we'll be back to just death and taxes again.
“If we can change one kid’s life, the mission is accomplished. Because that one kid could change a generation, could change a culture. That’s the idea.”
From unheralded bench player to national player of the year to NBA Draft lottery pick; Frank Kaminsky’s unlikely journey to the pros is complete.
From being that skinny kid from Sheboygan on SportsCenter, to ascending to an NCAA Tournament hero, to garnering a first-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Sam Dekker has been all around the basketball world.
The nature of massive, state school Division-I athletic departments means that beyond nation- ally competitive football and/or basketball teams, you’re probably going to have a few “minor” programs that rank among the perennially elite in the NCAA. Wisconsin’s men’s cross country is one of those programs.
A 22-game win streak, a Big Ten Championship and a flurry of major awards. On the surface it sounds like a successful season. For the Badgers, however, the 2014 season left much to be desired.
All eyes will be on sophomore Annie Pankowski when the Badgers take the ice next winter. After a phenomenal freshman season she will be the offensive leader for Wisconsin in their quest for a national title.
Instead of providing a solid idea of what 2015 has in store for Wisconsin, the official account of events offers a window into an enigmatic whirlwind that hasn’t settled.
The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team is coming off the best two-year stretch in program history, but face a myriad of uncertainty heading into the 2014-’15 season.
As the Wisconsin basketball team celebrated earning the first NCAA Tournament 1-seed in program history, unaware of the thrills, laughs and, ultimately, tragedy they would encounter, they were unknowingly cheering another achievement. A far more enduring, and impressive, accomplishment.