MADISON - It's amazing how much better a basketball team looks when its shots go through the basket. After an ugly 50-45 win over Nebraska at the Kohl Center Sunday, in which the Badgers made just six of their 28 second-half shots, Wisconsin scored its most points in a Big Ten game this season in a 77-57 win over Northwestern Wednesday night.

"You just keep working it," head coach Bo Ryan said of his team's shooting slump entering the game. "You don't whine, you don't complain, you don't feel sorry for yourself. You just play, and practice, and practice, and practice some more."

Four players scored in double figures for UW, including Ryan Evans, who led the team with 17 points. Evans was 7-of-13 from the floor and a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line. He also pulled down nine rebounds to lead the Badgers in that department.

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Big Ten Men's Basketball Northwestern at Wisconsin
	vs
12-5 (2-3 Big Ten)		14-5 (3-3 Big Ten)
Jan. 18, 2012 8:00 PM CT Kohl Center (17,230), Madison, WI
TV: BTN (Eric Collins & Shon Morris) Radio: 1310 AM (Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas)
All-time Series: Wisconsin leads 108-61 Last Meeting: Wisconsin won, 78-63 in Madison

MADISON - Greetings from the Kohl Center, where the Badgers will try and extend their winning streak to three games against the Wildcats of Northwestern. If Wisconsin is successful, it will head into a crucial showdown with Illinois on Sunday with a conference record above .500.

While four of the Badgers' five losses on the season have come at the hands of teams ranked in the top 16 of either poll, the team's performance against Nebraska last weekend left a lot to be desired. Another half shooting 6-of-28 from the floor won't cut it against a Northwestern team that knocked off Michigan State last week.

Despite UW's offensive struggles, its defense has been consistently stellar. The Badgers lead the nation in allowing just 48.5 points per game.

The Wildcats have never won at the Kohl Center. Could that streak come to an end tonight?

As always, your comments, questions and predictions are welcome. We'll be here all game long.

Big Ten Men's Basketball Nebraska at Wisconsin
	vs
9-7 (1-4 Big Ten)		13-5 (2-3 Big Ten)
Jan. 15, 2012 5:00 PM CT Kohl Center (17,230), Madison, WI
TV: BTN (Brian Anderson & Shon Morris) Radio: 1310 AM (Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas)
All-time Series: Nebraska leads 10-7 Last Meeting: Wisconsin won, 64-40 in Lincoln, Neb.

MADISON - Greetings from the Kohl Center, where a sparse crowd is on hand to watch the Badgers try and shake a rare two-game home losing streak.

Wisconsin began its Big Ten schedule in promising fashion, dominating the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln. After dropping three consecutive games, the Badgers picked up a crucial road win at Purdue Thursday night. It's an indication of the unpredictability of the 2011-12 Big Ten season.

We'll be here all game long, so feel free to chime in with your comments, questions and predictions.

MADISON - Wisconsin won big over an overmatched non-conference opponent, and head coach Bo Ryan misquoted a lyric from a Notorious B.I.G. song -- twice -- in his postgame press conference. In other words, it was just another night at the Kohl Center.

It had been eight days since UW beat Savannah State here, and the team looked fresh after an extended break for final exams. Mississippi Valley State came in with a dreadful 1-9 record, having endured a brutally tough schedule to this point.

Still, Wisconsin looked good in winning 79-45 and now carries momentum into conference play, which begins Tuesday night at Nebraska.

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NCAA Men's Basketball Mississippi Valley State at No. 14/15 Wisconsin
	vs
1-9 (0-0 SWAC)		10-2 (0-0 Big Ten)
Dec. 23, 2011 4:30 PM CT Kohl Center (17,230), Madison, Wis.
TV: Big Ten Network Radio: Wisconsin Radio Network (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas)
All-time Series: Wisconsin leads 1-0 Last Meeting: UW won, 115-79 (12/23/1993)

MADISON - I'm thrilled to be back in the press box at the Kohl Center, where the Badgers will close out their non-conference schedule against Mississippi Valley State in a matinee affair.

The Delta Devils' record should tell you all you need to know about tonight's game. Wisconsin will look to stay healthy and head into Big Ten play on a winning note. This is also head coach Bo Ryan's last chance to experiment with new and different lineups before Tuesday night's game at Nebraska.

I'll be here all night, so feel free to chime in with your comments, questions and predictions.

The Predictions:

Adam Hoge: Michigan State 31, Wisconsin 28

Phil Mitten: Wisconsin 30, Michigan State 24

Chuck Schwartz: Wisconsin 27, Michigan State 24

Jake Harris: Wisconsin 35, Michigan State 27

John Veldhuis: Wisconsin 28, Michigan State 21

Adam Tupitza:

Louis Bien: Wisconsin 34, Michigan State 24

Sam Zastrow: Wisconsin 27, Michigan State 24

The Reasoning:

College football can be unforgiving. One regular-season loss all but assures a team of elimination from the national championship race. Opportunities for redemption are rare.

The Wisconsin Badgers, however, have a chance to redeem themselves on one of college football's biggest stages Saturday night against Michigan State in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis. If they are successful, they will then have an opportunity to return to the Rose Bowl, where they can avenge last season's two-point loss to TCU.

In a rivalry that has become defined by home-field advantage, it is only fitting that Wisconsin and Michigan State will meet on a neutral field with an undisputed conference championship at stake. The last time the road team won a game in this series was in 2002, when the Badgers knocked off the Spartans 42-24 in East Lansing.

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The Predictions:

Louis Bien: Wisconsin 28, Penn State 20

Jake Harris: Wisconsin 38, Penn State 14

Adam Hoge: Wisconsin 27, Penn State 13

Phil Mitten: Wisconsin 27, Penn State 17

Chuck Schwartz: Wisconsin 28, Penn State 16

Adam Tupitza: Wisconsin 27, Penn State 20

John Veldhuis: Wisconsin 31, Penn State 17

Sam Zastrow: Wisconsin 28, Penn State 14

The Reasoning:

Despite two last-second losses that took them out of the national championship race, the Badgers are in position to win the Big Ten's Leaders Division when they host Penn State at Camp Randall Stadium Saturday. A win over Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis would send Wisconsin to its second straight Rose Bowl.

The Nittany Lions, led by interim coach Tom Bradley, stand in the way. They have endured one of the largest scandals in college sports history over the past few weeks, as allegations of child sex abuse against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky led to the firing of 84-year-old head coach Joe Paterno.

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The Predictions

Louis Bien: Wisconsin 40, Illinois 17

Jake Harris: Wisconsin 28, Illinois 14

Adam Hoge: Wisconsin 34, Illinois 17

Phil Mitten: Wisconsin 34, Illinois 24

Adam Tupitza: Wisconsin 27, Illinois 24

John Veldhuis: Wisconsin 35, Illinois 17

Chuck Schwartz: Wisconsin 38, Illinois 17

Sam Zastrow: Wisconsin 35, Illinois 10

The Reasoning

It's been a tale of two seasons for Illinois, a team that surprised the nation by starting the year 6-0, including a win over then-No. 22 Arizona State. After four straight losses, however, head coach Ron Zook finds himself in the familiar position of fighting for his job.

The problem for the Fighting Illini during the losing streak has been scoring points. Illinois has scored just 42 points in its last four games combined. Talented sophomore quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase has thrown for just two touchdowns with three interceptions during the winless streak. His favorite target is senior wide receiver A.J. Jenkins, who has caught 76 passes for 1,133 yards and seven touchdowns.

Illinois' offense has been so bad lately that Ohio State needed its quarterback, Braxton Miller, to complete just one pass to knock off the Fighting Illini in Champaign, and even the substandard defenses of Purdue and Michigan each held Illinois to 14 points.

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The Predictions:

Louis Bien (+123): Wisconsin 48, Purdue 17

Sam Zastrow (+129): Wisconsin 42, Purdue 20

Jake Harris (+131): Wisconsin 49, Purdue 14

Adam Hoge (+134): Wisconsin 38, Purdue 13

John Veldhuis (+137): Wisconsin 42, Purdue 17

Chuck Schwartz (+149): Wisconsin 28, Purdue 14

Phil Mitten (+150): Wisconsin 48, Purdue 21

Adam Tupitza (+155): Wisconsin 45, Purdue 17

Who has the edge?

Offense: Wisconsin

Defense: Wisconsin

Special Teams: Purdue

Coaching: Wisconsin

Intangibles: Wisconsin

The Predictions:

Louis Bien (+106): Wisconsin 30, Ohio State 17

Jake Harris (+110): Wisconsin 31, Ohio State 14

Adam Hoge (+113): Wisconsin 34, Ohio State 17

Sam Zastrow (+115): Wisconsin 34, Ohio State 24

John Veldhuis (+123): Wisconsin 31, Ohio State 21

Chuck Schwartz (+124): Wisconsin 38, Ohio State 17

Phil Mitten (+136): Wisconsin 28, Ohio State 20

Adam Tupitza (+146): Wisconsin 31, Ohio State 26

The Reasoning

Few teams have learned what a difference a year makes the way Ohio State has this season. The Buckeyes still have not recovered from the tattoos-for-memorabilia scandal that cost former head coach Jim Tressel his job, struggling to a 1-2 start in Big Ten play.

Offensively, OSU will try and avoid situations that require freshman quarterback Braxton Miller to throw the football. Miller has completed just 51 percent of his passes for 67.2 yards per game in his first year as the Buckeyes' signal-caller. Terrelle Pryor's sudden departure from the team during the offseason combined with Joe Bauserman's ineptitude to force Miller into action early. He completed just one pass in a victory at Illinois two weeks ago.

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The Predictions

Sam Zastrow (+91): Wisconsin 31, Michigan State 13

Adam Hoge (+93): Wisconsin 34, Michigan State 20

Jake Harris (+93): Wisconsin 31, Michigan State 20

Louis Bien (+93): Wisconsin 34, Michigan State 27

John Veldhuis (+100): Wisconsin 28, Michigan State 17

Chuck Schwartz (+101): Wisconsin 34, Michigan State 17

Phil Mitten (+122): Wisconsin 30, Michigan State 24

Adam Tupitza (+130): Wisconsin 28, Michigan State 24

The Reasoning

With Halloween on the horizon and temperatures in Madison expected to dip into the 30s tonight, a true road game for the Badgers is long overdue. While Wisconsin has been consistently dominant at Camp Randall Stadium during Bret Bielema's tenure as head coach, the story has not been the same on the road. The team's record away from Madison was just 4-8 over the course of the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

Things began to change during last season's Big Ten championship run, as the Badgers picked up gutty wins at Iowa and at Michigan on their way to an 11-1 regular-season record. The success has been partially the result of a new philosophy from Bielema, who now encourages his players to embrace the experience of playing in a hostile environment, rather than pretending the conditions are the same.

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The Predictions:

Jake Harris (+78): Wisconsin 70, Indiana 3

Adam Hoge (+86): Wisconsin 55, Indiana 10

Sam Zastrow (+90): Wisconsin 59, Indiana 6

Louis Bien (+91): Wisconsin 58, Indiana 13

John Veldhuis (+94): Wisconsin 56, Indiana 10

Chuck Schwartz (+98): Wisconsin 59, Indiana 10

Phil Mitten (+112): Wisconsin 62, Indiana 14

Adam Tupitza (+114): Wisconsin 52, Indiana 16

The Reasoning:

You know how you can tell when the football team you're a fan of is relatively problem-free? When the biggest source of consternation the week of the Homecoming game is whether a traditional, profanity-laced chant that is popular in the stadium's student section should be discontinued.

Such is life for the Wisconsin Badgers (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten), who essentially have been blessed with two consecutive bye weeks with the arrival of the Indiana Hoosiers (1-5, 0-2), who are dead last in the conference's Leaders Division.

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The Predictions:

Louis Bien (+64): Wisconsin 31, Nebraska 27

Adam Hoge (+69): Wisconsin 34, Nebraska 20

Jake Harris (+69): Wisconsin 42, Nebraska 20

Sam Zastrow (+70): Wisconsin 31, Nebraska 20

John Veldhuis (+71): Wisconsin 35, Nebraska 27

Chuck Schwartz (+77): Wisconsin 30, Nebraska 20

Phil Mitten (+85): Wisconsin 30, Nebraska 27

Adam Tupitza (+87): Wisconsin 28, Nebraska 24

The Reasoning:

Through four non-conference games, Wisconsin looks the part of a national title contender, while Nebraska has underwhelmed. The Badgers are sixth in the country in scoring 48.5 points per game and third in the nation in allowing just 8.5 points per game. Quarterback Russell Wilson has thrown 11 touchdown passes with just one interception. Meanwhile, the Cornhuskers' allegedly vaunted defense has allowed an average of 22 points per game to four unranked opponents.

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The Predictions:

Sam Zastrow (+60): Wisconsin 62, South Dakota 3

Adam Hoge (+61): Wisconsin 55, South Dakota 6

Jake Harris (+63): Wisconsin 65, South Dakota 10

John Veldhuis (+65): Wisconsin 65, South Dakota 10

Chuck Schwartz (+72): Wisconsin 54, South Dakota 10

Phil Mitten (+78): Wisconsin 56, South Dakota 6

The Reasoning

These are the games most college football fans wish would just go away, the result of deals between big schools in power conferences and overmatched FCS opponents. Wisconsin gets an easy win before the start of Big Ten play and a third profitable non-conference home game; South Dakota gets some money for its athletic department, and that apparently is worth the cost of public humiliation.

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The Predictions

Adam Hoge (+33): Wisconsin 38, Northern Illinois 24

Sam Zastrow (+33): Wisconsin 47, Northern Illinois 32

John Veldhuis (+37): Wisconsin 38, Northern Illinois 24

Louis Bien (+39): Wisconsin 41, Northern Illinois 20

Chuck Schwartz (+44): Wisconsin 31, Northern Illinois 17

Jake Harris (+46): Wisconsin 45, Northern Illinois 20

Phil Mitten (+47): Wisconsin 38, Northern Illinois 27

Adam Tupitza (+47): Wisconsin 45, Northern Illinois 28

The Reasoning:

Wisconsin (2-0) will face by far its toughest test of the young season when it travels to Chicago to take on Northern Illinois (1-1) at Soldier Field. It is the first time the Badgers will step outside the comfort of Camp Randall Stadium in 2011 and the Huskies are the first team UW will face that has actually won another game.

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The Predictions: 

Sam Zastrow (+3): Wisconsin 45, Oregon State 20

Jake Harris (+5): Wisconsin 55, Oregon State 21

Phil Mitten (+7): Wisconsin 51, Oregon State 24

John Veldhuis (+10): Wisconsin 42, Oregon State 20

Adam Tupitza (+10): Wisconsin 45, Oregon State 27

Louis Bien (+10): Wisconsin 47, Oregon State 17

Chuck Schwartz (+14): Wisconsin 48, Oregon State 17

Adam Hoge (+17): Wisconsin 38, Oregon State 13

The Reasoning:

Concerns over how well new quarterback Russell Wilson would integrate with Wisconsin's offense proved unnecessary. Wilson led the Badgers to a 51-17 victory over UNLV on opening night, throwing for 255 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 62 yards and another score. Since so much was made of the importance of quarterback efficiency in Paul Chryst's scheme, it is worth pointing out that Wilson's quarterback rating of 292.5 against the Rebels is higher than any rating former quarterback Scott Tolzien achieved in his entire career at UW.

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The Predictions:

Adam Hoge: Wisconsin 41, UNLV 10

Phil Mitten: Wisconsin 48, UNLV 13

Chuck Schwartz: Wisconsin 41, UNLV 13

Jake Harris: Wisconsin 52, UNLV 13

John Veldhuis: Wisconsin 45, UNLV 13

Adam Tupitza: Wisconsin 41, UNLV 17

Louis Bien: Wisconsin 48, UNLV 10

Sam Zastrow: Wisconsin 48, UNLV 17

The Reasoning:

UNLV was bad last season and heads into 2011 without several key starters from a year ago. The Rebels have a new quarterback, Caleb Herring, who attempted just 56 passes in 2010 but still managed to take nine sacks and throw three interceptions.

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MADISON - Russell Wilson to Nick Toon.

Most Badger fans would be surprised if that connection is not made at least a couple times Thursday night when the Wisconsin football team opens the 2011 season against UNLV.

Take a look at the box score from UW's annual spring game, though, and you will see neither Wilson's nor Toon's name.

Wilson, of course, had not yet arrived on campus. His transition from playing second base for the Class A Asheville Tourists to starting at quarterback for Wisconsin has been both quick and remarkable.

Toon, though, has traveled a different road, one that has led him to full health.

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MADISON - Opening the season on a Thursday night means the Wisconsin football team's typical game week routine is two days ahead of schedule. As a result, head coach Bret Bielema gave a rare Saturday press conference previewing the Badgers' upcoming game against UNLV.

To Bielema, the opportunity to begin the college football season in primetime is worth adjusting the schedule.

"ESPN contacted us, they asked if we'd have an interest," Bielema said. "I think the ability to say that we're going to kick off the college football season is a big, big deal. They could have reached out to 120 other teams. 

Bielema did not sound surprised that ESPN would choose to showcase Wisconsin in front of a national audience.

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MADISON - Head coach Bret Bielema addressed reporters Tuesday, following what he described as a physical practice for the Wisconsin football team.

Bielema did not sound pleased with some of the sloppy play he witnessed on both sides of the ball. He said he is looking forward to seeing how the team responds after a night off. The Badgers will meet Wednesday afternoon and then play a mock game Wednesday evening under the lights at Camp Randall Stadium.

"We'll do as close as we can to hitting every phase of the offense, defense and special teams," Bielema said. "Unique situations, onside hands team, blocked punts, blocked field goals, fake field goals, fake punts."

Bielema was happy to report that several Badgers have gotten healthy over the past few days. He said redshirt freshman running back Jeff Lewis should return to practice at some point this week after aggravating an existing hand injury.

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MADISON - The Wisconsin football team revealed its four newly elected captains for the 2011 season shortly after Sunday's Family Fun Day at Camp Randall Stadium. The four leaders have one thing in common: they are all seniors.

But the two most high-profile members of the group achieved this milestone in very different ways.

Senior free safety Aaron Henry saw his first snaps as a Badger way back in 2007. As a true freshman playing cornerback, Henry wasted no time turning heads, returning an interception 26 yards in the season opener against Washington State and then sacking Iowa quarterback Jake Christensen twice in a 17-13 win.

Since then, Henry has been through a lot.

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MADISON - With the opener against UNLV less than two weeks away, Wisconsin's players and coaches appear more and more eager to start the regular season with each practice.

"I've seen more of a sense of urgency from the guys with the way they pay attention in meeting rooms and the way they go about their business out on the field," defensive coordinator Chris Ash said after Friday's practice. "It's that time. The game's going to be here soon."

The play of Ash's defense has been up and down throughout fall camp. After a scrimmage last week in which the starting unit surrendered several big plays, the coaches on that side of the ball were visibly upset. But Ash says he has noticed improvement since then.

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With lockout finally over, Tolzien, Clay, Gilreath, Brinkley find new homes

MADISON - It was no surprise to fans who witnessed Wisconsin's record-setting 2010 season that five Badgers were selected by NFL teams in April's annual draft.

Four players from UW's machine-like offense, including three linemen, landed in the league. Defensive end J.J. Watt, who passed up his senior season at Wisconsin for a shot at the NFL, was drafted 11th overall by the Houston Texans. He was one of two Badgers who went in the first round, in addition to offensive lineman Gabe Carimi, who the Chicago Bears took with the 29th overall selection.

Tight end Lance Kendricks is a St. Louis Ram after that team took him off the board in the second round. The Seattle Seahawks used their third-round pick on guard John Moffitt, while the Dallas Cowboys liked enough of what they saw from Bill Nagy in a reserve role with the Badgers to spend a seventh-round pick on the Ohio native.

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The Badgers' head coach answers questions about the acquisition of Russell Wilson from NC State

MADISON - We learned a bit about new Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson's personal life from head coach Bret Bielema's chat with reporters at Camp Randall Stadium today. Bielema also expressed confidence that Wilson will make a smooth transition to his new team, discussed the unique recruiting process that brought Wilson to Madison, revealed how the Badgers' NFL hopefuls are staying busy during the league's lockout and even took a jab at the mighty SEC.

Wilson is expected to arrive in Madison within the week and enroll in the UW summer session that begins July 11.

After the jump: highlights from Bielema's 20-minute Q&A.

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Senior running back Zach Brown will not return to the Wisconsin football team in 2011 and will instead explore his options to transfer to another program, according to a release from UW Athletic Communications.

Head coach Bret Bielema announced the news Tuesday, thanking Brown for his contributions to the Badgers over the last four seasons.

Brown has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining. He is on pace to graduate from UW in August and, thanks to a new NCAA rule, will therefore not to have sit out a season before regaining his elibility the way most transfers are required to do.

Despite rushing for 250 yards in a win at Minnesota as a true freshman, Brown has been buried on the Badgers' depth chart, especially since fumbling became a problem for him early in the 2009 season. He elected to redshirt in 2010 and watched John Clay, Montee Ball and James White each rush for over 996 yards as Wisconsin claimed a share of the Big Ten title.

With the returns of Ball and White and the emergence of redshirt freshman Jeff Lewis, finding carries would have again been a challenge for Brown in 2011.

Click on the link above for the full release.

Perhaps we shouldn't ask these questions so soon after a loss.

In a poll of B5Q readers, 65 percent have said they are not satisfied with the Badgers'  25-9 season that ended with a loss to Butler in the Sweet 16.

My only question for those of you who responded this way is: Really?

Readers do know there are 346 teams in NCAA Division I basketball, right? That only 68 make the tournament and just 16 of those 68 win the necessary two (or three) games against other elite competitors to get to the regional round, right? That teams seeded fourth, like Wisconsin, face either a No. 1 seed in the Sweet 16 or a team good enough to beat a team seeded No. 1, right? That Wisconsin wasn't even projected to finish in the top half of the Big Ten this season, let alone be one of only two teams in the conference still standing after two tournament games.

Right?

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Badger seniors and draft-eligible juniors strut their stuff in front of NFL scouts

MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin football team has always performed better at home than it has on the road, and at least one former Badger mentioned feeling much more comfortable working out in front of scouts in his own facility than at the NFL Scouting Combine in sterile Lucas Oil Stadium.

The University of Wisconsin held its annual football Pro Day at the McClain Athletic Facility, adjacent to Camp Randall Stadium, Wednesday. An unusually large crowd was on hand to see one of the most accomplished classes in UW football history showcase their skills in advance of next month's NFL Draft.

UW Athletic Department officials said representatives from 31 of the league's 32 teams made it to Madison on a wintry day to evaluate the pro potential of Wisconsin's graduating seniors and draft-eligible juniors. Current NFL Badgers, such as San Francisco 49ers safety Chris Maragos, Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy, New York Jets safety Jim Leonhard and free agent wide receiver Luke Swan returned to support their fellow alumni. Many more friends, family members, teammates and media members packed the indoor facility.

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Badger seniors close out undefeated Kohl Center campaign with victory over Wildcats

MADISON, Wis. - It took the Badgers an entire season to run into a team that looked as comfortable shooting 3s at the Kohl Center as they do, but that still wasn't enough to prevent Wisconsin from finishing the season undefeated at home.

The Badgers (22-6, 12-4 Big Ten) prevailed over Northwestern (16-12, 6-11) by a comfortable 78-63 margin Sunday in Madison, finishing their home schedule a perfect 16-0. They will carry a 19-game win streak at the Kohl Center into next season.

It is just the third time in the last 80 years that a Wisconsin team has posted an unblemished record at home, all of which have come during Bo Ryan's stint as head coach. Ryan's record against Big Ten opponents at the Kohl Center is now 78-6.

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