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Wisconsin basketball returned to March Madness, but unfortunately, the trip was short-lived. With the Wisconsin Badgers (22-14, 11-9 Big Ten) losing to the James Madison Dukes (32-3, 15-3 Sun Belt), a once-promising season has ground to a halt. Tyler Wahl’s record-breaking game will be his last.
Earlier in the campaign, Wisconsin appeared to be a dark horse Final Four threat. The Badgers rose to No. 6 in the AP Poll. UW sat atop the Big Ten standings into February. Ultimately, none of that mattered. Wisconsin failed to secure a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament and exited the NCAA Tournament before the Sweet Sixteen yet again. The Badgers have not reached the second weekend of the Big Dance since 2017.
Wisconsin Basketball Doomed by Lack of Ball Security
Mar 21, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Chucky Hepburn (23) looks to shoot the ball during team practice at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Ball security issues plagued this iteration of the Wisconsin Badgers. Aside from its first-half performance against Rutgers, perhaps no game exemplified the issue more than UW’s last. By turning the ball over on 14.6% of possessions, Wisconsin basketball finished the season with its worst turnover percentage since 2020, according to KenPom.
Wisconsin turned over the ball a season-high 19 times against James Madison. In an 11-point loss, the Badgers lost the points off turnovers battle 28-8. 14 of UW’s turnovers were steals forced by the Dukes.
Perhaps no player was more disappointing from a ball security perspective than Chucky Hepburn. Almost no Badger in history has taken care of the ball as well as the Nebraska native. His 2.36 career assist-to-turnover ratio trails only Jordan Taylor and Mike Kelley in the program record book. Entering the NCAA Tournament, the All-Big Ten Defensive Team honoree’s 3.33 assist-to-turnover ratio on the season was the third-best mark in a single season for a Badger. Against JMU, Hepburn recorded four assists, three turnovers, and four fouls.
Tyler Wahl Ends His Career on Unfortunate Slump
Mar 21, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Chucky Hepburn (23) and forward Tyler Wahl (5) talk to the media at a press conference at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Tyler Wahl likely will not be remembered for how his career ended. With 162 games in a Wisconsin basketball uniform under his belt, there are too many other memories for fans to cling to for these past few games to be the only lasting memories. The Lakeville, Minnesota native, however, likely would have preferred if he had gone out in a more memorable fashion.
His name is littered across UW’s program record book. Wahl finished his career in Madison as the leader in games played. Additionally, he is top-ten in starts, wins, rebounds, offensive rebounds, and the list goes on. You would not have known that just by watching his performance this postseason, though.
Wahl could not find the bottom of the net in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. He made only six of his 23 shots from the field in four games and recorded merely 20 points. His availability was at issue too, fouling out in two of Wisconsin’s final three games.
What’s Next for Wisconsin Basketball?
Mar 22, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Max Klesmit (11) reacts after the game against the James Madison Dukes in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The Badgers enter the offseason with significant questions. Gard will have to replace Wahl, the most-tenured player in program history when his frontcourt already lacks depth behind him. With AJ Storr likely to test the NBA waters, Wisconsin may lose its leading scorer. Add any unexpected departures, and you have a roster in serious flux.
Fortunately for Gard, he has a recruiting class headlined by standout point guard Daniel Freitag on deck. He might get some frontcourt help from within his program, with Gus Yalden entering the rotation after his redshirt season. Then again, maybe Yalden will not be with the program at all next season.
The time to start asking hard questions about Wisconsin Badgers basketball is now. After a season that had so much promise ended with such disappointment, it is only fair.
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Wisconsin Badgers losing ground in ESPN's way-too-early 2025-26 bracketology
The Wisconsin Badgers exceeded expectations last season when John Tonje led the team to the Big Ten Championship Game and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi doesn't see them repeating quite the same success. He updated his way-too-early predictions for March Madness in 2026, and he dropped the Badgers down to a No. 7 seed in the Midwest region. They would play No. 10 seed Ole Miss in the first round, and if they advance, they would play the winner of No. 2 seed UConn against No. 15 Siena of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. In the same region, Lunardi has rival Illinois as a No. 4 seed. Wisconsin's postseason push will fall on the shoulders of John Blackwell taking over the lead scoring role, along with a group of key transfers with a lot of potential to open up the offense. Greg Gard has had a knack for maximizing the talent on his roster and over-performing based on preseason expectations. His roster will be a little overlooked again this season, and he is in a good position to surprise some people again in 2026. More Wisconsin Badgers News: Greg Gard pitting John Blackwell and Nick Boyd against each other to ramp up Badgers practice intensity How every former Wisconsin Badger performed in this year's NBA Summer League Hidden reason revealed for Wisconsin Badgers playing more neutral site basketball games in Milwaukee Incoming Wisconsin Badgers freshman stars as leading scorer in EuroBasket 2025 Final
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love’s ‘Fiery’ Response to Wife’s Take on Franchise’s Timeless Tradition
Green Bay Packers star quarterback Jordan Love and his wife, Ronika Stone Love, are truly in, well, love. The couple just got married in June, and with the Packers deep into their preparation for the upcoming 2025 NFL season, Ronika shows full support for her husband. In a social media post on Instagram, Ronika shared a series of photos from last Saturday’s Packers Family Night at Lambeau Field. The first photo on the post shows a happy Ronika in the arms of the former Utah State Aggies star signal-caller. “My version of a Lambeau Leap,” Ronika wrote as a caption. Last season, Love played in 15 games, throwing for a total of 3,389 passing yards to go along with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. That year was considered a down one for Love, but many expect him to come up with a bigger performance in 2025, as Green Bay looks to surpass its 11-win total in 2024. Fans react to Jordan Love’s wife’s Green Bay Packers Lambeau Leap Apart from Love, many others reacted to Ronika’s heartwarming post. Here are some of them: “Two Green Bay 10’s right there,” said a fan. Another one said: “Hair looks amazing” From a commenter: “Awhhhh y’all are so cute!! And I’m obsessed with the hair it’s giving SZA!! ” “Love the Loves!,” a social media user posted. Via a different commenter: “your outfit is adorable” Said another: “I love the fit! Both of yall ”
Milwaukee Brewers: Nestor Cortes Gone, Standout Rookie 3B Has Emerged as Gem from Would-Be Lose-Lose Trade
Starting pitcher Nestor Cortes was the centerpiece of the Milwaukee Brewers‘ return haul from trading co-closer Devin Williams to the Yankees last December. Eight months later, Cortes is a member of the Padres, logging all of two starts in Milwaukee before injuries sapped his season. Over in New York, Williams lost his closer’s job, got it back, and has had one good month en route to a 5.04 ERA. Without the other part of Milwaukee’s incoming package, then minor-league third baseman Caleb Durbin, the trade would look at this juncture like a lose-lose scenario. Thanks to Durbin, it’s been anything but for the Brewers. Caleb Durbin is Milwaukee Brewers’ diamond in the rough Durbin didn’t make the spring training cut. Instead, the Brewers went with fellow rookie Oliver Dunn as the team’s starting third baseman. Durbin went down to Triple-A Nashville. Dunn didn’t last. After he struggled through the first three weeks of the season, he and Durbin switched places and the latter hasn’t squandered his shot. Following a slow start, he’s turned up the heat at the dish while playing outstanding defense. He’s had an OPS around .800 for over two months now and has his season slashline up to .263/.344/.372. His 2.2 WAR in 86 games played is tied for 10th among all third basemen, making him one of the position’s more valuable players. The Brewers saw plenty of promise in Durbin when they traded for him, coming off a strong season with New York’s Triple-A affiliate. Even though he didn’t, he was a decent candidate to make the team out of spring. The team likely didn’t see a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate, which he is. By WAR, he and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin have contributed the same value to their teams, more than any other NL rookies. Cortes, on the other hand, was supposed to be a consistent cog in the rotation. Last year for the Yankees, he made 30 starts and recorded a 3.77 ERA. Instead, he’s still making his way back from injury ahead of start number three this season. In San Diego. Of course, Milwaukee did turn him into outfielder Brandon Lockridge, who will provide depth while Jackson Chourio is hurt. To dump Cortes’ salary, however, they had to attach a prospect, infielder Jorge Quintana. Neither Cortes nor Williams has been what the receiving team hoped. Both will be free agents this offseason. Only the Yankees, however, are at risk of walking away empty-handed. With years of team control remaining, the Brewers have in Durbin what looks to be their third baseman of both the present and future. The trade didn’t deliver according to expectations, but it’s hard to be too upset with the results.
Steelers Trade Package for Micah Parsons Predicted
If the Pittsburgh Steelers are viewing 2025 as a Super Bowl or bust-type season and want to stay true to the "all-in" strategy they've adopted this offseason, perhaps there's one more splash move left on the table. Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons requested a trade late last week, and while the likeliest outcome is that the two sides agree to terms on a record-setting extension that would surpass T.J. Watt's three-year, $123 million contract that he signed with Pittsburgh last month, there's also a world in which things go sideways. The Steelers aren't among the teams who need any additional pass rushers or necessarily would want to exhaust their assets by acquiring one, but there may be some wiggle room left to do so if they think landing Parsons is in the cards. Steelers Wire's Andrew Vazquez drew up a mock trade between Pittsburgh and Dallas that would send edge rusher Alex Highsmith, second-round picks in 2026 and 2027 as well as a 2027 seventh-rounder to the Lone Star State for Parsons. "The price to pay is undoubtedly steep — but there's no question the Steelers would boast an even more devastating pass rush with All-Pro DT Cameron Heyward on the interior and the edge rush duo of Parsons and former 2021 Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt," Vasquez wrote. Highsmith is a high-level player who's posted a combined 13 sacks in 28 games over the past two seasons and also logged 14.5 quarterback takedowns with five forced fumbles in 2022. The 28-year-old is under contract through 2027 with no guaranteed salary while carrying cap hits of $18.602 million in 2025, $20.102 million in 2026 and $21.102 million in 2027, per Over the Cap. Even so, a package centering around him and a pair of second-rounders likely wouldn't meet Dallas' asking price for Parsons, a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro who has never recorded less than 12 sacks in a single season. Paying two edge rushers top-of-the-market money in Watt and Parsons simply isn't realistic for the Steelers. Considering an extension would likely be a necessity in any trade for Parsons with the Cowboys, Pittsburgh can let his standoff with Dallas play out without getting involved.
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