Behind the play of freshman guard Tyus Jones and an all-around strong offensive performance, the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils (8-0) defeated No. 2 Wisconsin (7-1) 80-70 Wednesday night at the Kohl Center.
Duke always seems to have an impressive crop of players in its starting lineup. This season is no different. Here’s a rundown of their five starters.
Last season, the Badgers used the same starting five of Traevon Jackson, Ben Brust, Josh Gasser, Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky in all 38 of the team’s games.
At 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Kohl Center becomes the undisputed center of the college basketball world. No. 2 Wisconsin (7-0) will welcome No. 4 Duke (7-0) to Madison in the headliner of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Two preseason All-American centers, senior Frank Kaminsky and freshman Jahlil Okafor, will square in a clash of two completely different recruiting and development paths.
They didn’t have to play UNC or Florida, but the Badgers will happily take their Battle 4 Atlantis trophy home to Madison as they prepare for Wednesday’s heavyweight match against Duke. Wisconsin won the tournament by way of a 69-56 victory over Oklahoma in the final.
Facing a second-half deficit for the first time all season, Wisconsin used big performances from a pair of bench players to rally past Georgetown for a 68-65 victory and advance to the final of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Wisconsin (5-0) continued its scorched-earth run to begin the season, downing UAB (2-2) 72-43 in their fifth straight win of 20 points or more to begin the season. This was the Badgers' first game in the loaded Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
Behind a stellar performance by senior forward Frank Kaminsky, No. 3 Wisconsin cruised to a 78-54 victory over Boise State Saturday night.
It could have been Wisconsin’s stacked frontcourt that burned the Phoenix. Could have been the early foul trouble. Could have been Keifer Sykes’ inability to clone himself.
After a victory in their season opener on Sunday, the Badgers (1-0) look to win their second straight game as they face a tough SEC opponent in Vanderbilt (2-0) Thursday at the Kohl Center at 7 p.m.
Following a pair of convincing victories last weekend, No. 3 Wisconsin will get its toughest test of the young season when it welcomes in intrastate rival Green Bay and its star player, senior point guard Keifer Sykes.
Thanks to a strong first half that saw four different players reach double digits in scoring, No. 3 Wisconsin cruised to an 89-45 victory over Chattanooga Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers (1-0) did exactly what they were supposed to on college basketball’s opening night: receive their Final Four rings and dominate a lesser opponent. Head coach Bo Ryan’s squad began their 2014-’15 campaign with a 62-31 dismantling of Northern Kentucky (0-1).
As the Wisconsin Badgers head into the 2014-’15 season with hopes of being a national championship contender, they’ll be anchored by a pair of returning starters from last season’s Final Four team: Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky.
Ben Brust’s departure has left a hole in the Badgers’ starting lineup. To whom will Bo Ryan turn to fill it—physical forward Nigel Hayes or floor general Bronson Koenig?
Let’s take a look at five games (or tournaments) that fall under the “must-watch” category.
The Favorite
Here we are. Over a week past the election. I think it’s about time I relax, take a deep breath and start complaining about something other than politics. For me, the next logical step is sports. When I first sat down to write this article, though, I struggled to find something that I could realistically malign for 500-900 words. I mean, things have been pretty good lately. The Packers are 6 and 3 and they just finished putting the smackdown of the century on the Bears, which I’m sure made Jay Cutler feel nothing because it’s clear by his play and demeanor that neither the city of Chicago nor the sport of football mean anything to him. On top of that, while the Badgers suffered a couple disappointing losses to start the season, it’s hard to complain when they’ve won four straight in decisive fashion and have a player with a realistic chance of winning the Heisman
After last season’s run to the Final Four, senior forward Frank Kaminsky and the No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers enter this year with lofty expectations.
Ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll. Unanimous preseason Big Ten favorite. Two players picked for All-American teams. It’s not crazy to say this is the most anticipated basketball team in Wisconsin history.
Read on Issuu
Solutions by The State News
