Fumagalli recieves more accolades

Earlier today the AP Preseason All-American Team was announced and Troy Fumagalli’s name was on it. Fumagalli received the honor of second team All-American at Tight end.

The Associated Press All-American team was chosen by votes from 51 members of the media panel from across the country. This is one of many accolades that Fumagalli has received already this season.

He was placed on the John Mackey award watch list, which is an award that goes to the nation’s most outstanding Tight end. Fumagalli was also listed on the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year watch list.

He was also voted as first-team All-Big Ten by Athlon. Fumagalli was selected as a first-team All American by Athlon and Sports Illustrated earlier this summer.

He joins a long list of Wisconsin Tight ends who have made a name for themselves at the position.

    Badgers International trip ends with a win

    The Wisconsin Badgers basketball team  ended their five game trip Down Under yesterday with a 83-71 win against the Sydney Kings.

    The Badgers were led by in-coming freshman Brad Davidson, who scored 23 points went 2-4 from behind the arc, and was a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line. Preseason All-American Ethan Happ added 15 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals.

    The Badgers trailed 55-50 in the third quarter before Davidson would help start two separate Wisconsin runs. He scored eight straight points for the Badgers by connecting on two straight three pointers and a layup.

    He also was able to get his teammates involved throughout the second half. The Badgers grabbed a 59-57 lead late in the third quarter and never looked back.

    The Badgers shot the ball 8-20 from three, good enough for 40% shooting from behind the arc. The team also shot well from the free throw line going 15-18. Wisconsin had an edge on the glass, out-rebounding the Kings 36-24, including 10 more offensive rebounds.

    The Badgers concluded their trip Down Under going 4-1 and finding a lot out about their team. The Badgers started all five games with a different lineup, and had a different leading scorer every game. Ethan Happ never led the Badgers in scoring, which speaks volumes about the depth of the team.

    The three Badgers freshman also proved that they can play at a high level. Brad Davidson, Nate Reuvers, and Kobe King all played well during the five exhibition games. Not only does Wisconsin have talented in-coming freshman, but they also have an abundance of depth.

    https://twitter.com/BadgerMBB/status/899958811196370944

      Badgers ranked 9th in AP Poll

      The Wisconsin Badgers will start the season ranked ninth in the AP Poll, which was released this morning at 11 a.m. CST.  This is the highest a Badgers team has been ranked to start the season since 2007.

      They’re one of three teams from the Big Ten Conference ranked in the Top-10. Ohio State came in at number two, while Penn State is ranked sixth.

      The other Big Ten  team ranked in the Top-25 is Michigan, who just barely missed being ranked in the Top-10, coming in ranked 11th. Teams from the conference also receiving votes are Northwestern, Nebraska, and Michigan State.

      The Badgers don’t currently have any opponents outside of the Big Ten who will start the season ranked in the AP Poll . The Badgers will play BYU who is a team receiving votes.

      The Badgers were ranked 10th to start the season in the Coaches poll, which was released earlier this August.

        Badgers picked to win B1G West Division

        The Big Ten Network twitter account tweeted out the USA Today 2017 Big Ten West division predictions. The Wisconsin Badgers were the clear-cut favorite to win the West Division.

        The Badgers were predicted to go 11-1 overall and 8-1 in the conference. The predictions didn’t specify what team they thought the Badgers would lose to.

        Nebraska was projected to finish second, while Northwestern came in at third, and Iowa fourth. Those were the only four teams that USA Today predicted would have winning records overall and in conference play in the West Division.

        Minnesota was picked to finish fifth in P.J. Fleck’s first year as head coach. Purdue and Illinois were picked to finish in a tie for last to round out the West standings.

        The Badgers will open their season September 1st at home against Utah State. The game kicks-off at 8 p.m. EST and can be seen on ESPN.

          Dekker on the move to LA

          Former Wisconsin star Sam Dekker is headed west.

          As first reported by ‘The Vertical,’ the Houston Rockets have reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Clippers to trade All-Star point guard Chris Paul in exchange for Dekker, guards Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and DeAndre Liggins, forwards Kyle Wiltjer and Darrun Hilliard, center Montrezl Harell and a protected top-3 first-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

          Dekker, a first-round pick by the Rockets in 2015, has been hampered by injuries in his first two seasons. He only played in three games his rookie season due to season-ending back surgery, and then missed the last few games of the regular season and the start of the playoffs this past year after suffering a fractured hand.

          For the year, Dekker started two of the 77 games he saw action, essentially serving as the second man off the bench, averaging 18.5 minutes per game. In his time with the Rockets, Dekker averaged 6.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and one assist per game. He also shot 47.3 percent from the floor, 32.1 percent from behind the arc, and 55.9 percent from the free-throw line.

          A trade to the Clippers could be just the shot in the arm that Dekker needs. This trade should allow him more playing time, especially since Blake Griffin is expected to opt out of his contract. According to his Twitter account, Dekker enjoyed his time with the Houston organization, but is looking forward to joining LA.

          Wisconsin QB Alex Hornibrook earns B1G honor

          Posted: September 18, 2017

          MADISON — As expected, Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook earned his first career Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors on Monday. The sophomore picked up the award after going 18 of 19 for 256 yards and four touchdowns in the Badgers’ 40-6 whipping of BYU. Hornibrook set the school record for completion percentage (94.7 […]

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          (10) Wisconsin 40, BYU 6: 2-minute drill

          Posted: September 16, 2017

          PROVO, Utah — Playing in the state of Utah for the first time in its history, No. 10 Wisconsin rolled to a 40-6 win over BYU on Saturday at Lavell Edwards Stadium. The Badgers used a balanced attack to pile up 491 yards and limited the Cougars to just 192 as they moved to 3-0 […]

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          Preview: (10) Wisconsin at BYU

          Posted: September 15, 2017

          THE BASICS The teams: The No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers (2-0) vs the BYU Cougars (1-2) The time: 2:30 p.m. CDT, Saturday The place: Lavell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah The TV coverage: ABC with Mike Patrick and Tommy Tuberville in the booth, and Paul Carcaterra on the sideline. The last time: Wisconsin got 193 total yards […]

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          Wisconsin announces 2020, 2021 Big Ten schedules

          Posted: September 12, 2017

          MADISON — It’s still a few years away, but for the first time since 1982, the Wisconsin football team will open its season against a Big Ten team. The school announced the schedule for 2020 and 2021 on Tuesday with a conference opponent serving as the Badgers first game both years. Indiana will visit Camp […]

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          (9) Wisconsin 31, Florida Atlantic 14: 2-minute drill

          Posted: September 9, 2017

          MADISON — No. 9 Wisconsin (2-0) got 223 yards and three touchdowns from Jonathan Taylor on its way to a 31-14 win over Florida Atlantic (0-2) on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium. Play of the Game On their second drive of the game, the Badgers faced a second-and-9 from their 36-yard line. Taylor got the […]

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            Ethan Happ earns B1G honor and named to National POY watch list

            MADISON — Following Saturday’s 78-76 overtime win at Minnesota, Ethan Happ collapsed on the Williams Arena floor in exhaustion. The sophomore had just played 38 minutes to help the Badgers stay in a first-place tie in the Big Ten with Maryland, doing so by dropping a career-high 28 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out six assists.

            On Monday, Happ got awarded for his efforts, earning his first Big Ten Player of the Week honor, sharing it with Indiana’s James Blackmon.

            In two games, wins against Michigan and the Gophers, Happ averaged 19.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.5 blocks and 1.5 steals.

            For the season, Happ is averaging 13.9 points per game, to go along with 9.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks. According to Wisconsin officials, he’s the only player in the country to boast a stat line that robust.

            And that makes his appearance on the midseason watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, which was announced Monday, less than surprising. The award goes to the best player in the country and includes just one other Big Ten player — Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan — and just 19 others players total.

            Happ and the Badgers will host Penn State on Tuesday night.

              Talking B1G title game and College Football Playoff with Zach Heilprin

              MADISON | The Wisconsin football team will go for its fourth Big Ten title since 2010 on Saturday night when they take on Penn State in the conference title game in Indianapolis. But that’s not all that’s on the line for the two teams. Each believes it’s still in position to make a case for the College Football Playoff, and they know a win in impressive fashion at Lucas Oil Stadium will help them in the eyes of the selection committee.

              Zach Heilprin joined the Joe and Ebo Show on Thursday morning to talk about the title game and the chances Wisconsin can make the playoff.

                Preview: No. 7 Wisconsin at Purdue

                THE BASICS

                The teams: The No. 7 Wisconsin Badgers Akron Zips (8-2, 5-2) vs the Purdue Boilermakers (3-7, 1-6)

                The time: 11 a.m. CDT, Saturday

                The place: Rose-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Ind.

                The TV coverage: ABC with Mike Patrick and Ed Cunningham on the call, with Dr. Jerry Punch on the sideline.

                The last time: Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave threw for 322 yards, and running back Alec Ingold scored a pair of short touchdowns, as the Badgers beat Purdue 24-7 at Camp Randall Stadium last year.

                The series: Wisconsin 46-29-8

                The line: Wisconsin -28

                The Badgers injury report:

                QUESTIONABLE

                FB Austin Ramesh (shoulder)

                OUT

                OLB Zack Baun (leg)

                OL Jake Maxwell (shoulder)

                NT Olive Sagapolu (arm)

                THE BREAKDOWN: FIVE THINGS TO WATCH

                1) Keeping your foot on the pedal

                Top teams continue to lose, the latest being No. 5 Louisville Thursday night at Houston. And while that’s good for Wisconsin’s chances of making the College Football Playoff, it’s also a reminder that any team can lose on any day, and the Badgers can’t think that just by showing up on Saturday they’ll come away with a victory. It’s going to be a fight.

                “It’s not one of those things where we can lay back and think things are all finished out and good to go,” wide receiver Jazz Peavy said. “We got to make sure we keep winning games and keep preparing (to win them).”

                2) Running game comes alive

                Through five games, the Wisconsin running game was average at best, putting up just 160 yards per game. But in the five games since, the old dominant ground attack that the Badgers have been known for has come to life.

                Following a 363-yard performance against Illinois last week, Wisconsin is now up to 198 yards per game. And a lot of credit has to go to an offensive line that has found some continuity, playing the same five guys in the last three games.

                “It doesn’t just happen where you can run the football,” coach Paul Chryst said. “It’s a group that’s working. The ability to play with the same group has been helpful. They’re doing some good stuff, but we’ve still got work to do.”

                Wisconsin will have the opportunity for another big day on the ground on Saturday, as Purdue comes in ranked 122nd in the nation in rushing defense, allowing an average of 248 yards per game.

                3) Passing defense will be challenged

                Purdue doesn’t do a lot of things well, but one area they have had success at times is in the passing game. The Boilermakers are averaging 309 yards per game through the air, tops in the Big Ten, and sophomore quarterback David Blough is first in passing yards, and second in the conference with 21 touchdowns.

                But the Badgers pass defense has been among the better surprises this season. How the three new starters — cornerback Derrick Tindal, along with safeties Leo Musso and D’Cota Dixon — would fill-in was a big question. 10 games into the season and the answer is pretty darn well. Wisconsin is allowing 191 yards through the air — ranked 19th in the country — while also making quarterbacks pay for poor throws, picking off 14 passes, the third-best mark in the Big Ten.

                4) Getting healthy

                Wisconsin’s starting outside linebackers — Vince Biegel and T.J. Watt — have both battled injuries this season. A cracked bone in his right foot kept Biegel out of the Michigan and Ohio State games, while Watt has played through a myriad of ailments, including a shoulder injury that left him in agonizing pain at times. But both are starting to feel like themselves again, and that could mean trouble for opposing offenses.

                “We can always be the guys to make a difference or make a play,” Watt said this week. “We can impact the run or the pass so much and in so many different ways. Whether it’s rushing the passer, knocking down passes or dropping in coverage.

                “I think as we continue to get healthier, more and more comfortable and gaining more and more confidence, you may see (those big plays from us).”

                5) Two quarterbacks again

                For a fifth straight game, it’s expected the Badgers will use both of their quarterbacks — Alex Hornibrook and Bart Houston. Though it can’t be called a overwhelming success, Wisconsin has won all four games where they’ve implemented the time share and Chryst intends to stick with it.

                They know they don’t have to carry the whole load,” Chryst said of one of the positives of the arrangement. “They know they’re going to be contributors. I like to think it helps.”

                Wisconsin is averaging 151 yards passing in this four-game stretch, with four touchdowns and two interceptions. And Chryst believes that both quarterbacks are getting used to it, and says communication has been the key.

                “We’re really transparent with them as far as the plan and what’s going on so there isn’t a lot of guessing what’s going to happen,” Chryst said. “They don’t need to worry about that.”

                NUMBERS TO CONSIDER

                Wisconsin has won the last 10 games in the series by an average of 23.2 points per game

                The Badgers have given up just nine points in the first quarter of games this year, and are the only team in the country that hasn’t allowed a touchdown

                Led by defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, the Badgers are allowing just 12.7 points per game, the third-best mark in the country and the fewest by a Wisconsin defense since 2006.

                PREDICTIONS

                Zach Heilprin’s prediction: Wisconsin 45, Purdue 3 (6-4 on the season)
                Ebo’s prediction: Wisconsin 38, Purdue 7 (7-3 on the season)
                Jake Zimmermann’s prediction: Wisconsin 38, Purdue 3 (8-2 on the season)
                Joe Miller’s prediction: Wisconsin 45, Purdue 13 (7-3 on the season)
                Eric Rogers’ prediction: Wisconsin 38, Purdue 3 (8-2 on the season)

                 

                  Vince Biegel making progress, several other Wisconsin starters on the injury report

                  MADISON | Vince Biegel is making progress in returning from foot surgery.

                  After already being ruled out for the Ohio State game at this time last week, the senior is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game at Iowa.

                  “As far as chances (he’ll play), we’ll see how the week goes,” coach Paul Chryst said when he met with the media early Monday afternoon.

                  Biegel has missed the last two games after undergoing surgery to fix a cracked bone in his right foot. The initial timeline from Wisconsin on his return was “several weeks,” and the three-week mark from the procedure will be this Thursday.

                  The outside linebacker went through a workout on the field prior to the Ohio State game, and looked surprisingly mobile for someone that had surgery so recently. Biegel, one of Wisconsin’s two captains, was a visible figure on the sideline during the game, and Chryst can tell how much it’s hurting him to not be out on the field.

                  “I do think Vince loves playing the game. He really, in all the right ways, cares about this team,” Chryst said. “Once you go through the procedure, and you’re making progress, to me, it’s less anxious, and it’s more looking forward to when he can go again. He’s been taking good steps forward, and we hope that continues.”

                  In Biegel’s absence, junior Garrett Dooley has filled in, collecting 11 tackles and one tackle for loss.

                  The only player that’s listed as out for the Iowa game is cornerback Natrell Jamerson. He suffered a leg injury late in Wisconsin’s win over Akron on Sept. 10 and was expected to miss four-to-six weeks. Saturday will be the fifth game he’s missed.

                  “No setbacks and not longer than we anticipated,” Chryst said when asked about the delay in Jamerson’s return.

                  Injury report:

                  QUESTIONABLE:
                  OLB Zack Baun (leg)
                  OLB Vince Biegel (foot)
                  S Keelon Brookins (leg)
                  RB Taiwan Deal (leg)
                  OL Jon Dietzen (leg)
                  NG Olive Sagapolu (arm)
                  WR Rob Wheelwright (leg)

                  OUT
                  CB Natrell Jamerson (leg)

                  OUT FOR SEASON
                  K Rafael Gaglianone (back)
                  ILB Chris Orr (knee)

                    UW’s Dan Voltz retires due to knee injuries

                    MADISON, WIs. — University of Wisconsin offensive lineman Dan Voltz has announced his retirement from football after a history with knee injuries.

                    Head coach Paul Chryst made the announcement after Tuesday’s practice.

                     

                    The senior center out of Barrington, Ill. was on the Outland Trophy preseason watch list for 2016. Voltz was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection in 2014. His 2015 season was cut short after suffering a knee injury against Illinois on Oct. 24.

                    His 2015 injury gave way to Michael Deiter taking over his position at center entering the 2016 season — a decision Voltz agreed with. Voltz was being transitioned into a left guard position.

                    Voltz will still have a role with the Badgers, acting as a sort of offensive line mentor with some additional work in the strength department. But that doesn’t mean the decision was easy.