Softball: Wisconsin continues dominance over Illinois
By Abby Becker and Andrew Tucker | Apr. 13, 2014When Badger softball players see Illinois (2-10 Big Ten, 18-18 overall) on the schedule, they have a good reason to get excited.
When Badger softball players see Illinois (2-10 Big Ten, 18-18 overall) on the schedule, they have a good reason to get excited.
In a two-game weekend home stand against Michigan State and Michigan, the Badgers could not break out of their prolonged cold spell, losing both matches 4-3.
Wisconsin was hoping to snap their four-match losing streak when it traveled to Michigan this weekend to take on a pair of quality conference foes.
Spring is a season that marks change to the landscape, climate, and most importantly, Wisconsin football.
This week, we are all Michigan State fans.
Last season, Wisconsin made the smooth transition to a 3-4 defense under head coach Gary Andersen and defensive coordinator Dave Aranda.
After what has been a lackluster season thus far, head coach Yvette Healy stressed to her team that it had to find a way to string a few wins together to build momentum heading into its final stretch of the year.
After a 16-0 start to the 2013-’14 season, nobody saw what would come next for Wisconsin. The No. 2-ranked team in the country went on to lose five of its next six Big Ten conference games.
Turning-point game: Florida
After such an up-and-down season for Wisconsin, a loss in the Final Four can be tough to swallow. All the hard work and emotion poured into the season is suddenly put to a halt, and the players, coaches and community have to cope with the reality that the team came up just short of the ultimate goal.
University of Wisconsin-Madison senior Alex Meyer had the Wisconsin men’s basketball team winning his whole NCAA bracket, a feat that would have been the perfect end to his last year as a Badger.
When the Wisconsin Badgers and Kentucky Wildcats squared off at the Final Four in Arlington, Texas, fans were treated to a matchup between two programs with very different philosophies when it comes to recruiting and player development.
Traevon Jackson
For most Wisconsin basketball fans, Frank Kaminsky first became a household name last Nov. 19, when the junior center scored a school-record 43 points in a 103-85 victory over North Dakota.
Two hundred and thirty-one. That’s the number of 3-pointers senior guard Ben Brust had in his career, four more than the 227 that was Tim Locum’s team record for 23 years. Record breaking No. 238 came with 3:52 left in overtime in the Elite Eight win against Arizona. This shot put the Badgers up 57-54, forcing the Wildcats’ backs against a wall. Two hundred and twenty-eight couldn’t have come at a better time.
Wisconsin will meet with an audience for the first time since the Jan. 1 Capital One Bowl. The Badgers replenished offense and defense will meet in Camp Randall 3 p.m. Saturday.
Saturday night was sickening. When Traevon Jackson’s pull up jumper clanged off the rim and fell to the floor, the city of Madison fell with it. It’s nights like Saturday that make it hard to be a sports fan.
While the weather in Minnesota may have been frightful, the Badgers (3-5 Big Ten, 17-15 overall) look to rebound from last weekend’s shortened series against North Dakota (2-3 Big Sky, 3-20) Wednesday at home.
Now that Connecticut has won the title, it’s time to do what we always do when the season ends: Think about next season. Here’s a preseason top five for next year in no particular order.