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Category: Athletics

Badgers football: Corey Clement named to Doak Walker Award watch list

Wisconsin State Journal

Having already landed on the Maxwell Award watch list earlier this month, it was no surprise that University of Wisconsin running back Corey Clement was named to the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list Thursday.

The award, given annually to the nation’s top running back, is one the Badgers have taken home two of the past three seasons, and UW is the only school that has produced three different winners of the trophy.

Thorpe Award latest to add Caputo to watch list

WKOW TV

Watch lists for three national defensive awards have been revealed over the last week, and Michael Caputo’s name has appeared on all three.

The Wisconsin senior safety added another preseason honor to his growing resume on Monday when he was named to the 2015 watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top defensive back.

Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst on Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson

The MMQB with Peter King

Scott Tolzien had just graduated, and we were looking for a quarterback for the 2011 season. We had heard Russell Wilson was available. He only had one season left, but after we checked in with a few people we knew at N.C. State and heard what they had to say about him, we were definitely interested.

Tom Oates: UW men’s basketball resurgence started in 1988-89 season

Madison.com

Did the UW hoops revival start with the hiring of coach Bo Ryan in 2001? With the surprise trip to the Final Four under coach Dick Bennett in 2000? With the first NCAA tournament bid since 1947 under coach Stu Jackson in 1994? The answer: None of the above. The Badgers’ slow but steady rise to relevance actually had its roots in the 1988-89 season, when a UW team led by scoring stars Trent Jackson and Danny Jones reached the NIT, the school’s first posteason bid of any kind in 42 years.

Gaglianone claims spot on Groza Award watch list

NBC15

Wisconsin sophomore kicker Rafael Gaglianone made his way into the Badgers’ record books last season, with his rookie performance good enough to land him consideration for the title of the nation’s top placekicker.

The 30-player preseason watch list for the 2015 Lou Groza Award, presented annually to the best kicker in the country, was announced Thursday by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.

Badgers football: Joel Stave, Corey Clement, Michael Caputo to represent UW at B1G Media Day

Madison.com

Quarterback Joel Stave, tailback Corey Clement and defensive back Michael Caputo will join new University of Wisconsin football coach Paul Chryst for Big Ten Conference media day in Chicago later this month.

The league announced Thursday the player representatives for the annual two-day gathering, to be held July 30 and 31 at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place.

Bronson Koenig warns of Snapchat imposters

NBC15

The UW-Madison men’s basketball team rose to fame this year with their final four season, but some players are learning fame comes with a price.

Last night, point guard Bronson Koenig sent a tweet warning people that someone was posing as him on Snapchat. The tweet said, “Once again, there is an imposter running a fake snapchat account of me. If u receive a snapchat thinking its me & idk you its, it’s not me.”

Wisconsin men’s basketball ranks fifth in nation in attendance

NBC15

On their way to Big Ten championships and the Final Four, all eyes were on the Badgers in 2014-15 and that was confirmed by the attendance figures released by the NCAA on Monday. A capacity average of 17,279 packed the Kohl Center to help UW lead the Big Ten and finish fifth in the nation in home attendance, the program’s highest finish since 2011-12.

Clement, Biegel and Caputo up for top college football honors

NBC15

Three Badgers who hope to take the college football world by storm this season are among the preseason leaders for a pair of major national awards.

Junior RB Corey Clement was named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, while junior OLB Vince Biegel and senior S Michael Caputo are among the candidates for the Bednarik Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Tuesday.

Frank Kaminsky trying to put full game together

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

For all the physical and mental adjustments Frank Kaminsky will make in transitioning to the NBA, his goal for now is a simple one: play a consistent game from start to finish.

“It’s been like a tale of two halves in both games,” the former University of Wisconsin standout said after his second game as a rookie with the Charlotte Hornets, playing in the NBA Summer League. “A lot of it for me is feeling things out right now. That might come in the course of a game… the second half felt a lot more comfortable.”

Bucks to announce training camp, preseason game in Madison

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Milwaukee Bucks will hold training camp in Madison this fall and also will play a preseason game at the Kohl Center, the team will announce Monday at a news conference in Madison.

Training camp will open on Sept. 29 and continue for four days on the UW campus, according to a source, with the Bucks holding sessions at the Badgers’ practice facility, the Nicholas-Johnson Pavilion and Plaza.

For Chris Borland, leaving NFL is not about the money

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Almost four months removed from announcing he was retiring from football because of concerns about brain injury — at age 24 and after just one season in the National Football League — former Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland hears one question over and over: How can you walk away from all that money?

Bo Ryan: It wasn’t just a “boom” decision.

Channel3000.com

Tuesday at Nicholas Johnson Pavilion, Bo Ryan addressed the media for the first time since Monday’s announcement that he’d coach just one more season at UW. The UW men’s basketball coach spoke candidly about his decision to retire. Ryan pointed to the increased demands of modern day college basketball coaches.

Tom Oates: Recruiting figures to be a tough sell after Bo Ryan’s announcement

Madison.com

Ryan’s announcement Monday that 2015-16 will be the 15th and final season of his legendary career at UW eliminated that problem once and for all. However, the Badgers now face another potential hindrance in recruiting: The uncertainty of recruits not knowing who the head coach will be, especially during the current recruiting cycle for the class of 2016.

Badgers men’s basketball: Bo Ryan to ride off on his own terms

Madison.com

As a group of reporters awaited Bo Ryan’s arrival at a news conference in the Kohl Center concourse Tuesday afternoon, the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball coach slowly rounded a corner using a cane to help him along. “Be right there,” he said. The prop was a lighthearted jab at reports on the Internet over the weekend that he was set to retire due to failing health. Ryan did end up announcing his retirement in a statement on Monday — he’ll coach through the end of the 2015-16 season, his 15th with the Badgers — but he made it clear in his first public comments a day later that the decision had nothing to do with his health.

Impressive seven-member class announced for Hall of Fame

NBC15

Six All-Americans and a pioneering administrator make up the decorated seven-member Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2015. The class includes an NCAA champion, NHL, NBA and NFL players, as well as two Olympians.

Making up the 2015 class is volleyball player Lizzy Fitzgerald, men’s soccer player Mike Gentile, men’s basketball’s Devin Harris, football star Jim Leonhard, men’s hockey skater Brian Rafalski, women’s hockey trailblazer Kerry Weiland, as well as longtime administrator Paula Bonner.

Former Badger Brian Butch gives Greg Gard vote of confidence

WKOW TV

As part of his statement announcing his retirement, Bo Ryan said his hope is that his longtime assistant Greg Gard inherits his role as head coach once Ryan steps down following the 2015-16 season. Gard has been on Ryan’s coaching staff for the past 22 seasons, dating back to Ryan’s days as head coach at UW-Platteville, but Gard has never been a head coach at the college level.

WKOW-TV caught up with former UW basketball player Brian Butch Monday, and he endorsed Gard as Ryan’s potential successor.

Bo Ryan to retire after next season

WKOW TV

The Wisconsin Men’s Basketball twitter feed has posted a statement from Badger head coach Bo Ryan indicating he will retire following the 2015-16 season.

He states he considered retiring in the days after the Badgers lost the national title game to Duke, but after further consideration decided to coach one more season. He also indicated he hoped his longtime assistant Greg Gard would get the head coaching job after he left.

Dekker : “It was kind of shocking”

Channel3000.com

Bo Ryan has been the fire-breathing face of Wisconsin basketball for 14 seasons, pushing the Badgers to never-before-seen heights. After 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven Sweet 16s, four Big Ten titles, two Final Fours and a berth in last year’s national championship game, the hard-charging 67-year-old Ryan has only one more season left in him.

Opilka, Hughes selected at NHL draft

NBC15

When freshman Luke Opilka decided to attend the 2015 NHL Draft, he was looking forward to hearing his name called over the public address system at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. He never could have expected the team that picked him would be his hometown St. Louis Blues.

Opilka, the first of two current Badgers to get selected in this year’s draft, went in the fifth round, 146th overall, to the Blues.

Sam Dekker returns home from NBA draft, mows lawn

Channel3000.com

Sam Dekker’s mom, Carol Dekker, tweeted a picture of Sam Sunday with the caption, “From NBA to lawn boy!” The picture of the first-round draft pick mowing lawn went viral Sunday afternoon. The Houston Rockets drafted Dekker as the 18th pick of the 2015 draft Thursday night.

Watt surprise visitor to Geoffrion Hockey Classic

Channel3000.com

Watt skated on the ice in the first period wearing a hockey sweater with his familiar number 99. Watt took two penalty shots against NHL goaltender and former Badger Brian Elliott and slapped one in, much to the delight of more than 2,000 fans in attendance.

Badgers make history with 2015 NBA Draft

NBC15

Two former Badger standouts now know where they’ll begin their NBA careers. Frank Kaminsky was picked 9th overall by the Charlotte Hornets. Sam Dekker went 18th to the Houston Rockets.

Though it was a weeknight, loyal fans still headed out to Regent Street to celebrate. “It’s good to see Wisconsin be up there for a change,” one Badger fan at Lucky’s bar said.

Kaminsky, Dekker selected in first round of 2015 NBA Draft

NBC15

For the first time in school history, two Badgers were selected in the first round of the same NBA Draft, as Frank Kaminsky went ninth overall to the Charlotte Hornets and Sam Dekker was taken 18th by the Houston Rockets at the 2015 NBA Draft inside the Barclays Center on Thursday night.

Geoffrion Classic provides comfort and distraction for burn patients

NBC15

5 years after his time at Wisconsin he’s back to host the 2nd Blake Geoffrion Classic. The game brings in some of the biggest names in hockey. But more importantly, it brings in funds to help young patients at UW Hospital.

“You know it’s a great cause here at the UW Health Burn Center. It’s kind of a niche thing, a lot of people aren’t aware that it happens and how many kids are affected every year. So I thought it was really cool and unique,” said Geoffrion.

Kaminsky’s controversial blog post resurfaces after NBA draft

WKOW TV

While much of the buzz around the NBA draft has centered around a successful night for Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, both first round draft picks, an old sports headline is resurfacing.

In Kaminsky’s blog “The Moose Basketball” he mentioned the Charlotte Bobcats (same franchise, same fan base as the Hornets) as a reason why the NBA seemed “boring.” Kaminsky was blogging to announce that he would return to Wisconsin for his senior year. The blog read in part, “I know the NBA has their crazy fans and all, but if you look at all of their games, there are games when teams like the Bobcats get hardly any fans, and it looks flat out boring.”

Frank Kaminsky goes to Charlotte Hornets at No. 9

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Growing up in Chicago, Michael Jordan is everything there,” Frank Kaminsky said Thursday night shortly after the Jordan-owned Charlotte Hornets selected the former Wisconsin standout with the ninth pick in the NBA draft. “He still is. I had all of his posters on my wall. ‘Space Jam’ was my favorite movie.”

Now, the Lisle, Ill., native gets to head to Charlotte to play for the man who was his idol when he was growing up a mere half-hour drive from Chicago.

Sam Dekker lands in Houston at No. 18

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Imagine making an NBA salary without even having to waste money on jackets. For former Wisconsin star Sam Dekker, that’s reality now. “Yeah, I literally thought of that right away,” said Dekker. “I was like, I can throw away some of those big coats I’ve got.”

Frank Kaminsky No. 9 to Charlotte; Sam Dekker No. 18 to Houston

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker on Thursday combined to help Wisconsin and coach Bo Ryan make history. Kaminsky and Dekker became just the third and fourth UW players under Ryan to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft. As a result, they gave UW two first-round picks in the same season for the first time ever.

Geoffrion Classic at LaBahn Friday

Channel3000.com

Some of the stars of the past from Badger hockey will play in the Blake Geoffrion Classic at LaBahn Arena Friday night to benefit the UW Health Burn Center. Last year’s game drew over 2000 fans and ticket sales are brisk for this year’s event.

Badgers hockey: Blake Geoffrion says second charity game will top the inaugural event

Wisconsin State Journal

“My wife is the person who is most honest with me and my biggest critic when she needs to be,” Geoffrion said. “And last year even she was like, ‘Man, that was unbelievable.’ … I wasn’t expecting that.”

Geoffrion promises things will be even better when the event is held for the second time on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at LaBahn Arena.

Badgers football: 300 female fans learn the basics in Football 101

Madison.com

For the sixth time in the past seven years, the Badgers set aside the day to give 300 of their female fans a closer look at the football program while raising money for the fight against breast cancer.

“The passion that people have for Wisconsin football, it’s a chance just to help facilitate something valuable,” Chryst said. “I think it’s good for (the women) and good for our players to interact. But everyone appreciates why we’re here.”

NBA draft: Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker poised to be first Badgers duo picked in first round

Wisconsin State Journal

The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball coach has offered honest feedback on Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, who will each attend Thursday night’s NBA draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Ryan always tries to make sure he doesn’t hang up without making one thing perfectly clear.

“With those two,” Ryan said, “I don’t think anybody that drafts them will ever have to worry about whether or not they’re going to work or continue to improve.”