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No. 24 Wisconsin takes a six-game winning streak to Los Angeles for a West Coast road swing, which tips off on Saturday at Southern California.
The Badgers (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten Conference) kept their streak intact on Tuesday despite squandering a 17-point halftime lead vs. Ohio State. Wisconsin overcame a 20-of-48 shooting performance (41.7 percent), including 5 of 22 (22.7 percent) from 3-point range to hold on for the 70-68 win.
"We know it's Division I basketball and you're not going to blow every team out even if you get up big," Wisconsin forward Steven Crowl said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We know they're going to make their run, it's just about weathering it. It's the sign of a good team when the shots aren't falling tonight or there is foul trouble or you're not guarding how you want, but you find a way to win in the end."
Wisconsin's winning streak includes its last four Big Ten games to rebound from an 0-2 start to conference play.
The Badgers make their inaugural swing into California for league play with Saturday's visit to USC, followed by a game at UCLA on Tuesday.
USC (11-6, 3-3) played its best offensive game of the season Tuesday, shooting a torrid 64.9 percent from the floor in a 99-89 win over Iowa on Tuesday. Three Trojans scored at least 21 points: Desmond Claude with 25, Saint Thomas with 24 and Wesley Yates III with 21.
Tuesday marked Claude's second consecutive productive outing, both in conference wins. His season-high 31 points paced USC to its signature win of the campaign thus far, an 82-72 road victory at then-No. 13 Illinois on Jan. 11. He leads the Trojans with 16.4 points per game.
"Everybody has continued to play hard and nobody gave up, even when things weren't going our way early on," Claude said in reference of previous losing skids of two and three games. "Everybody wanted to figure this out, so we kept practicing hard and sticking to our principles. That's the thing I'm most proud of. We want to win, and we're willing to do everything it takes."
A part of doing what it takes, Trojans coach Eric Musselman said, is opening up more of the playbook. He credited USC's offense the last two games to the team executing a more diverse set of plays, and the Trojans are now up to 77.5 points per game as a result.
The USC offense thrives with ball movement, reflected in 59.7 percent of their made field goals coming via assists - 39th-best nationally, per KenPom.com metrics.
Thomas, who dished nine assists vs. Iowa, is averaging 4.1 for the Trojans, while Claude has 4.2.
Wisconsin, meanwhile, is scoring 82.4 points per game, good for No. 34 nationally in advance of Friday's games, and a stark contrast to Badgers teams of the past. Last season, Wisconsin averaged 74.7 points per game, and 65.3 in 2022-23.
John Tonje's 18.2 points per game pace five Badgers in double-figures this season. John Blackwell is scoring 15.4 points a contest, and each of Nolan Winter, Max Klesmit and Crowl are posting just above 10 points an outing.
While the scoring surge this season is a deviation from Wisconsin teams of the past, a consistent factor is the Badgers style in producing wins. Coach Greg Gard reached 200 victories in his post with Tuesday's win, making him the fourth coach in program history to reach that milestone.
More must-reads:
- Shaquille O'Neal makes peace with longtime enemy — mostly
- New report sheds light on how Cowboys view Micah Parsons situation
- The '2024 NFL rushing TD leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Shaquille O'Neal makes peace with longtime enemy — mostly
Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard patched things up Sunday after years of feuding. But even while describing their rapprochement, O'Neal couldn't keep from teasing his longtime nemesis. The "Big Aristotle" was at the BIG3 playoffs Sunday to watch Howard's L.A. Riot play the Chicago Triplets. In the middle of describing to Rachel Nichols how he and Howard had made peace, O'Neal broke off his explanation to make fun of Howard for missing a dunk. The two Hall of Fame centers had sparred for years, despite their common ground as former members of the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. Some of the tension seemed to be due to Howard adopting O'Neal's "Superman" nickname, though O'Neal claimed to Nichols that he was simply being tough on Howard to motivate him. That explanation doesn't account for the time O'Neal mocked Howard for playing basketball in the Taiwanese league or the decade-plus he's spent roasting Howard on his podcast, in public appearances and on "Inside the NBA." Still, it appears that the two have made peace. Despite O'Neal being left off the original list of presenters, he insisted that he'll be among a group of Hall of Famers inducting Howard Sept. 6, including Dominique Wilkins, Robert Parish, Dennis Rodman and Patrick Ewing. It means that two of the most dominant big men of their eras have finally buried the hatchet. It's added a new level of interest to the Hall of Fame ceremonies, and it should be a sweet moment between O'Neal and Howard. As long as Howard doesn't mention Superman.
Giants have firm stance on possible Jameis Winston trade
The New York Giants have one of the deepest quarterback rooms in the NFL, and there has been speculation that Jameis Winston could be the odd man out when the regular season begins. It does not sound like Winston is going anywhere, however. Russell Wilson is expected to be the Giants' starting quarterback in Week 1. The big question is whether Jaxson Dart or Winston will enter the year as Wilson's primary backup. Dart has played well through two preseason games, and Brian Daboll and his coaching staff have raved about the former Ole Miss star. Some have wondered if the Giants could entertain trade offers for Winston should they decide they view Dart as their No. 2 quarterback. Assistant general manager Brandon Brown was asked about that on Tuesday, and he all but ruled it out. "I appreciate people that are interested, but Jameis is a New York Giant. The way that he's gone about his business from day one, he's made it very intentional of the fact that he wants to be here and he wants to be here for the long haul," Brown said. "Teammates love him. His preparation process, whether it's the off-field things that he does in terms of community relations, Bible studies, things in the locker room, galvanizing the group together — not just the quarterback room, but the offense as a whole. "He's been comic relief, but he's also been a really good example of how to be a pro and handle your business in terms of prehab, rehab and postgame care. So, I'm happy he's here, and he's gonna continue to do those things. He hasn't wavered, and he hasn't been shaken by any distractions at all." Winston signed a two-year, $8M contract with the Giants in free agency this offseason. The deal could climb as high as $16M with incentives, but he would need to play quite a bit to hit those. The Giants value Winston's extensive experience, just as they value Dart's upside. There is a reason they signed both Wilson and Winston and traded up to draft Dart. They believe in all three players, and they likely will not be inclined to trade Winston unless they receive an excellent offer.
Adam Schefter's latest Micah Parsons update gives Packers fans even more reason to believe in a blockbuster trade
Days after Ian Rapoport reported that the Green Bay Packers would make total sense as Micah Parsons' landing spot if the Dallas Cowboys decide to trade the All-Pro edge defender, Packers fans have gained another reason to believe that a deal is actually possible. On ESPN Radio, NFL insider Adam Schefter mentioned that the Cowboys parting ways to Parsons truly is a realistic scenario. "It sounds like at some point in time—whether that's now, after the season, after two seasons—it sounds like the two sides are headed to a divorce at some time," Schefter said. On the Pat McAfee Show, Schefter said something similar. "These things always can change, and situations often change at the end of August and September. It changed for CeeDee Lamb last year. It changed for Dak Prescott last year. This one doesn't feel that way. It doesn't feel that way today. That doesn't mean it can't change, but the way that it's tracking, it feels more likely that these sides are headed for a divorce today than they would be for a new deal. Now, I don't know that it'll play out that way, but that is what I see when I look at the market, first of all. Now, I don't know whether that means there will be a trade. I think the most likely scenario would be that he's there this year, his contract expires, they franchise tag him, and then after they franchise tag him, then they have the ability to go and try and trade him." Micah Parsons is playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal with the Cowboys, and he will make $24.007 million in 2025. Even though he's slated to hit the free agent market next offseason, Dallas could utilize the franchise tag to keep him around—which would be 120% of his current salary, $28.8 million. Parsons wants a long-term deal with the idea of becoming the highest-paid non-quarterback in football, surpassing $40 million in yearly salary. To make that happen, the Packers would have to be willing to spend the combination of high draft picks and the big extension. But at 26 and with his extremely productive profile, Parsons is the type of player worthy of that effort. For now, though, the Cowboys control the cards.
Fever receive devastating injury news on Sophie Cunningham
Injuries continue to be the pitfall for the Indiana Fever this season. Per ESPN, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has been ruled out for the rest of the season following a knee injury she suffered in Indiana's 99-93 win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday. The injury comes with nine games left in the regular season for the Fever. At 19-16, Indiana has the third-best record in the Eastern Conference and is set to make a playoff push this summer. The Fever have been without second-year star Caitlin Clark since July 15, as the guard has been dealing with a groin injury. The team hopes she can return in the regular season, but Indiana could be significantly shorthanded on offense until her return. Cunningham has averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 30 games played this season. She has been crucial as a rotational player, averaging 25.2 minutes for the Fever. The 29-year-old became an early darling of the WNBA this season for standing up for Clark both on and off the court. Cunningham recently signed a podcast deal with Colin Cowherd. The good news for Cunningham is that she is expected to make a full recovery. However, the injury will crush what could have been a special season for the Fever if and when Clark returns.
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