Varsity Magazine - September 26, 2018 by Wisconsin Badgers

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USE YOUR HEAD Freshman Charles Spragg sends the ball past an Indiana defender with a quick header during Wisconsinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3-1 loss on Sept. 16. Responding well to adversity, the Badgers rallied in their next game to clinch a pivotal 2-1 double-overtime win over perennial powerhouse Maryland last Friday night. PHOTO BY TOM LYNN

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GOTTA HAND IT TO HIM Alec Ingold proved to be a handful for Iowa last Saturday. The senior fullback sealed the Badgers’ fifth straight win at Kinnick Stadium with a 33yard touchdown run with 22 seconds remaining, but he also used a textbook stiff-arm of Iowa’s Kristian Welch to extend a 33-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter. PHOTO BY DAVID STLUKA

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READY, AIM, FIRE! The Badgersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bench helped point the way to back-to-back volleyball victories against Ohio State and Rutgers for No. 6 Wisconsin. PHOTO BY CHAD MOSLEY

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SHOOTOUT CELLY Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hockey held its annual Student Shootout on Sept. 17 and saw approximately 1,000 UW students show up to take their shot to win season tickets, including this ecstatic winner. PHOTO BY PAUL CAPOBIANCO

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SLAMMIN’ SEPTEMBER It may only be September, but preseason practice is well underway for Khalil Iverson and men’s basketball. It won’t be long before the Badgers host their annual Red/White Scrimmage, which is scheduled for Oct. 21 at the Kohl Center. PHOTO COURTESY UW MEN’S BASKETBALL

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SPIKING CHILDHOOD CANCER Young patients with cancer from the American Family Children’s Hospital and their families joined the Badgers on Saturday as part of the athletic department’s effort to highlight Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. MAIN PHOTO BY CHAD MOSLEY INSET BY KELLI GRASHEL

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GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY A.J. Taylor and Wisconsin’s offense answered the call with a 10-play, 88-yard scoring drive in the final minutes of last Saturday’s battle with rival Iowa for the Heartland Trophy. Taylor put the Badgers up for good when he pulled in a 17-yard touchdown pass from Alex Hornibrook with 57 seconds to play — handing UW its fifth-consecutive win at Kinnick Stadium. PHOTO BY KEITH GILLETT/ ICON SPORTSWIRE

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 ▪ VOLUME 9, ISSUE 5

CHAD MOSLEY

32 COURTSIDE CLOSE-UP The noise is almost physical. The crowd is electric. Take a seat on the home bench with the Badgers during a Big Ten volleyball match. And hold on …

FEATURES 2

THE FIRE BURNS 38

IN FOCUS

MBB PREVIEW

20 LUCAS AT LARGE 23 BY THE NUMBERS

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team opens practice on Thursday “hungrier than ever.”

24 WHAT TO WATCH 27 BADGERING 29 BADGERS GIVE BACK

41 INSIDE VOLLEYBALL 43 INSIDE WOMEN’S HOCKEY 45 INSIDE SOCCER 48 INSIDE CROSS COUNTRY 51 INSIDE GOLF 54 INSIDE WOMEN’S TENNIS

TOM LYNN

31 VIRAL VIDEO

27 OLIN HACKER BADGERING

The junior cross country runner shares more on his family’s running legacy and his name’s tie to Madison. 17

2018

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LUCAS AT LARGE

BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM

Hornibrook’s heart evident in gritty win at Iowa

DAVID STLUKA

isconsin’s jumbo formation (7XL) called for the five starting offensive linemen plus the top two reserves to squeeze into the same huddle. “You see a lot of beef,” observed guard Michael Deiter. Ground and pound beef. Besides Deiter (6-foot-6, 310 pounds), the personnel grouping has starters David Edwards (6-7, 315), Beau Benzschawel (6-6, 315), Tyler Biadasz (6-3, 319) and/or Jon Dietzen (6-6, 323), Cole Van Lanen (6-5, 311). Joining the group at Iowa were Jason Erdmann (6-6, 325), wearing jersey No. 96 instead of his normal No. 78, and Logan Bruss (6-5, 303), wearing No. 89 instead of No. 60. Quarterback Alex Hornibrook had one minor issue in the huddle. “It was hard to see,” he said, grinning.

They dwarf everyone. “But it’s fun and I like having those guys in there,” Hornibrook went on. “We all like the formation. We know what we’re doing and the Hawkeyes know what we’re doing, too. “We’re pounding the ball.” Iowa had trouble holding up against the pounding after having allowed just 25 rushing yards over the previous two games and a total of 126 yards on the ground through its first three games combined. The locals were touting the senior-dominated defensive front as one of the most fearsome in the Big Ten. But after running for 247 yards on 49 rushes in last season’s 38-14 rout of the Hawkeyes in Madison, the Badgers rushed 44 times for 210 yards in Saturday night’s comefrom-behind 28-17 victory at raucous Kinnick Stadium, where they have now won five straight

in the tug-of-war series. Whether it was Jonathan Taylor going over 100 yards for the 14th time in 18 career games, Taiwan Deal averaging seven yards per rush on his six carries or Alec Ingold’s 33-yard touchdown in the closing seconds to seal the deal, the rushing attack was a storyline. But, then, so was Hornibrook, who rallied the Badgers by completing 9 of 10 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. His only incompletion was a rare drop by tight end Jake Ferguson, who led the team with four catches for 58 yards, including his first career TD. In upping his record to 23-4 as a starter, 17-2 in the Big Ten, 11-1 in road games and 9-0 when throwing for more than one score, Hornibrook was 17of-22 for 205 yards overall. It was an impressive turnaround from the week before when he

struggled at times in a home loss to BYU. “I loved the way he competed,” said Wisconsin quarterbacks coach Jon Budmayr. “He stayed in the moment, he competed the whole night and he stepped up and made plays when we needed him to make plays. “He played within himself and when it was time to move the chains on third down, he made some throws and the guys made plays around him. “In normal down-and-distance, he did a good job of taking what was there and not making mistakes. He had a little zip on his passes. He was feeling good. He trusted where guys were going to be, and he cut it loose and didn’t think twice about what he was seeing. He trusted his eyes.” His teammates placed a high level of trust in Hornibrook to handle the environment; one of the toughest road venues in college football marked by the tight sidelines and the AC/DC (“Back in Black”) and Metallica (“Enter Sandman”) musical backdrop for the Iowa players taking the field. Moreover, the north end zone renovation has made it even louder by containing the sound. “He (Hornibrook) was poised, he just played the game the way he usually plays,” said wide receiver A.J. Taylor, who caught the touchdown pass that put the Badgers ahead with 57 seconds remaining. “He was focused, he led us out there and he kept us going.” “He was calm and confident like he always is,” said Deiter, a senior captain. “There was never

any waver in him. If it’s going bad, he’s confident. If it’s going good, he has the same confident mindset. It’s nice when you look around (when the noise amps up at Kinnick), you have a quarterback who’s fine.” “The kid is composed,” said Ingold, a former Hornibrook roommate. “He’s a guy that you can count on from week to week. He’s a competitive leader. That’s what you want in your quarterback, a competitor. As loud as it gets (on the road), he’s the composed one on the field.” It's part of his off-the-field demeanor, too.

“HE WAS CALM AND CONFIDENT LIKE HE ALWAYS IS. THERE WAS NEVER ANY WAVER IN HIM. IF IT’S GOING BAD, HE’S CONFIDENT. IF IT’S GOING GOOD, HE HAS THE SAME CONFIDENT MINDSET.”

The first thing he did after the game was credit his offensive line. “They did a huge job for me,” said Hornibrook, who was sacked just once (Iowa was among the national leaders in sacks with 12). “There were a lot of plays where I could take my three-step or five-step throw and hitch a couple of times. I had a lot of time.” As far as dealing with the crowd noise, Hornibrook said, “We had a cadence that helped us out, so we didn’t have to fight it. And it really doesn’t make a difference in how you’re playing unless you let it. We didn’t think too much of it.”

On a game-defining 10-play, 88-yard drive culminating with Hornibrook’s 17-yard scoring pass to A.J. Taylor that pushed the Badgers into the lead, he was 5-for-5 with two completions to Kendric Pryor for 5 and 28 yards; one to Garrett Groshek for 5; one to Ferguson for 12 and the last one to Taylor. “It was all about how we responded,” said Hornibrook when asked if losing the previous Saturday had motivated him. “I felt confident making throws and I felt confident that the guys would give me time and the guys would get open and that’s what we did.” A year ago in Madison, Hornibrook was guilty of three interceptions against the Hawkeyes, two of which were returned for touchdowns by cornerback Josh Jackson, now starting for the Green Bay Packers. Did Budmayr go over that tape with Hornibrook before Saturday’s rematch? “No, because we already learned from it and put it to bed,” Budmayr said. “That Sunday (following the game) we talked about them (the picks), ‘What happened here?’ We addressed it, and it was something that he put in his tool box. It’s knowledge gained.” Budmayr doesn’t shy away from having that “talk” with Hornibrook. But it’s two-way. “We have tons of conversations,” said Budmayr, a former Badgers quartertback whose career was shortened because of injuries. “You always want to identify, ‘Why did the interception happen?’” Click to read more »

We didn’t invent the term “gemutlicHKeit” but we did perfect it. Welcome to a state of gemutlichkeit.

BY THE NUMBERS LEN CEDERHOLM

◀ WOMEN’S SOCCER Junior Payton Wesley scored the game-winning goal — her first of this season and first since September 2016 — to break the Badgers’ 1-1 tie against Michigan State on Sunday and deliver Wisconsin’s 2-1 victory.

DAVID STLUKA

WOMEN’S HOCKEY ▶ UW had a league high three players selected to the Preseason All-WCHA Team: forwards Emily Clark and Annie Pankowski and defenseman Mikaela Gardner.

257.6 DAVID STLUKA

▲ MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Fourteen of the top-25 ranked cross country runners in FloTrack’s individual rankings will compete at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational on Friday, including UW’s Morgan McDonald, who is ranked No. 6.

WALT MIDDLETON

▼ FOOTBALL QB Alex Hornibrook went 9-for-10 passing for 121 yards and two touchdowns in the second half of last Saturday’s 28-17 win at Iowa, good for a pass efficiency rating of 257.6. Hornibrook drove the Badgers 88 yards to take the lead with 57 seconds to play.

WHAT TO WATCH

BORDER BATTLE

VOLLEYBALL AT MINNESOTA WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 ▪ 8PM MINNEAPOLIS ▪ BTN

CHAD MOSLEY

No. 5 Wisconsin travels north to face Big Ten rival and sixth-ranked Minnesota on Wednesday. The match airs live on Big Ten Network at 8 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER VS. RUTGERS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 7PM McCLIMON COMPLEX ▪ BTN

DAVE GAUSTA D

HOME SWEET MAC

Wisconsin returns home to the McClimon Soccer Complex to play Rutgers on Thursday. The Badgers sit at No. 3 in the Big Ten, one spot below the Scarlet Knights. The league match airs on Big Ten Network at 7 p.m.

ticket info

TOM LYNN

QUICK FEET

MEN’S SOCCER AT MICHIGAN STATE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 ▪ 2PM EAST LANSING, MICH. ▪ BTN Hitting the road, Wisconsin travels to face undefeated and fifth-ranked Michigan State on Sunday. Fans can watch the match live on Big Ten Network. 24

WEDNESDAY 9/26 MEN’S SOCCER at Marquette Milwaukee 7 p.m. VOLLEYBALL at #6 Minnesota Minneapolis 8 p.m. Watch: BTN

THURSDAY 9/27

FRIDAY 9/28

WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Rutgers Madison, Wis. 7 p.m. Watch: BTN Ticket info »

MEN’S & WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational Madison, Wis. 11 a.m. Watch: FloTrack Event info » MEN’S & WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING vs. Green Bay Madison, Wis. Diving: 3 p.m. Swimming: 5 p.m. WOMEN’S HOCKEY vs. Lindenwood Madison, Wis. 7 p.m. Buy tickets » View more 9/28 events »

SUNDAY 9/30

SATURDAY 9/29 SOFTBALL vs. Illinois-Chicago (Doubleheader) Madison, Wis. 1/3 p.m. Ticket info » WOMEN’S HOCKEY vs. Lindenwood Madison, Wis. 2 p.m. Buy tickets » VOLLEYBALL at #16 Purdue West Lafayette, Ind. 6 p.m. Watch: BTN2Go WOMEN’S TENNIS at CU Fall Invitational Boulder, Colo. All day View more 9/29 events »

MONDAY 10/1

TUESDAY 10/2

WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Maryland Madison, Wis. 1 p.m. Ticket info »

WOMEN’S TENNIS at ITA All-American Tournament Pacific Palisades, Calif. All day

MEN’S SOCCER vs. Milwaukee Madison, Wis. 7 p.m. Ticket info »

MEN’S SOCCER at #5 Michigan State East Lansing, Mich. 2 p.m. Watch: BTN

MEN’S TENNIS at ITA All-American Tournament Tulsa, Okla. All day

VOLLEYBALL at #7 Illinois Champaign, Ill. 8 p.m. Watch: BTN

WOMEN’S TENNIS at ITA All-American Tournament Pacific Palisades, Calif. All day

MEN’S GOLF at Marquette Intercollegiate Erin, Wis. All day

WOMEN’S TENNIS at ITA All-American Tournament Pacific Palisades, Calif. All day

MEN’S TENNIS at ITA All-American Tournament Tulsa, Okla. All day View more 9/30 events »

ALL TIMES CENTRAL

WEDNESDAY 10/3

MEN’S TENNIS at ITA All-American Tournament Tulsa, Okla. All day

VIEW FULL CALENDAR ON UWBADGERS.COM »

BADGERING...

OLIN HACKER

CROSS COUNTRY ▪ REDSHIRT JUNIOR ▪ MADISON, WIS.

Last year you battled an injury that kept you out the entire year. What was going through your head while you were rehabbing and on the road to recovery? “It was a long year and a tough year, definitely. The whole time, especially during cross country season, it was hard watching our guys run and know that I couldn’t be out there to help. I know they are always trying to be out there for me. That was what motivated me to get through rehab. Every time I had a setback, I just kept thinking about that.” Do you have a preference running on grass in cross country or running on a track during track and field season? “I’ve always thought of myself as a cross country runner. I think I can do both, but in cross country I like the change of pace, even if it is just a little up and down or turns. I definitely like running on grass.” I assume treadmills are the worst? “Yes, I’ve only done five minutes ever on a treadmill and was done.” Your dad was an NCAA champ and helped the Badgers win a couple of NCAA team titles, so did he have you running 5Ks in kindergarten? “He actually didn’t want me or my siblings to start running early. He encouraged us to play other sports and I played soccer growing up. But I did know that he was a really good runner when I was younger. I didn’t really know how good he was, I didn’t really understand it. But knowing that, it was always kind of in the back of my head like ‘when I get to high school, I want to run cross country.’ I did that and it’s worked out.” Why are you named Olin? “I’m named after John Olin, who was responsible for making a lot of the parks in Madison and setting aside a lot of land for parks. So actually, Olin Park is named after him as well. Around when I was born my parents were actually thinking about moving away from Madison so they wanted my name to remind them of their time in Madison a little bit. But they ended up staying. I like that because it makes me feel even more connected to Madison.” TOM LYNN

Click to read more »

BADGERS GIVE BACK SPOTLIGHT

badgers give back

Building Badgers

Student-athletes help kick off new partnership with Habitat for Humanity BY BADGERS GIVE BACK STAFF

ome is where the heart is. Wisconsin’s student-athletes displayed their support for families in need recently by lending a hand during Wisconsin Athletics’ first-ever Habitat for Humanity build day. The group arrived bright and early on a sunny summer Saturday morning and went straight to work to renovate the inside of a single family home. “When you’re physically putting in hard work to help a community member, it can be tough,” said Jackie Davenport, Wisconsin Athletics’ director of community relations. “But you know it’s making someone’s day that much better.” The home is located on Madison’s Eastside and had been vacant for over 10 years. Other Habitat for Humanity volunteers have been prepping the home for the anticipated movein day for months and the Badgers made a few of the finishing touches. “It was so rewarding to see the entire house with a fresh coat of paint,” added women’s basketball forward Grace Mueller. “We had accomplished a small, yet essential, part of a

bigger project to serve others in need.” Their hard work, focus and dedication was impressive. Their positivity, kindness and smiles were infectious. The local Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, Inc., representative explained their organization’s mission, “to provide shelter to people around the globe.” Student-athletes brought that mission to life at the local level as they participated in the build day to kick off the new partnership between Wisconsin Athletics and Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, Inc. “Providing that connection of student-athletes and a well-known organization around the world is a great opportunity,” Davenport said. The Badgers helped improve the home, and life, for one family in our community. The real sunshine, however, will continue to beam as this partnership grows and other families are offered affordable housing and student-athletes also volunteer their time to assist at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. ▪

VIRAL VIDEO

SEAN DHOOGHE AT THE STUDENT TICKET SHOOTOUT UP NEXT:

DRIVEN: SEASON 4, EPISODE 3

TOP 3 PLAYS: WISCONSIN AT MARYLAND

FOLLOW THE BADGERS â&#x2013;¶

DARREN LEE

CHAD MOSLEY

ISCONSIN VOLLEYBALL COACH Kelly Sheffield had seen enough. A poor read here. A miss-hit there. A lack of communication in one sequence followed by an absence of focus in another. It all happened in the opening minutes of a critical third set, a Big Ten Conference match at the Field House still very much in the balance. Timeout. Betraying no emotion, Sheffield conferred with his long-time assistants, Brittany Dildine and Gary White, out of earshot of their players assembled nearby. Sheffield then eased over to the bench area and squatted down like a baseball catcher to face his team. His voice was measured, turned up just loud enough to be heard over the steady din of another sellout crowd. “Don’t let their sloppiness affect how we fight,” he said. Sheffield was responding to the moment in which the then-sixth-rated Badgers put a

stranglehold on their Big Ten opener with Ohio State on Sept. 19. They won the first two sets rather handily, 25-19 and 25-17, before rolling out to a 6-1 advantage to open the third. The Buckeyes seemed to be in disarray, which prompted their coach, Geoff Carlston, to call timeout. Sheffield calmly seized the opportunity to get all his players — 10 underclassmen, 15 in all — on the same emotional page. “We’re not done yet,” he said, a tone of urgency in his voice. “Let’s go.” Wisconsin players responded in kind, pushing the advantage to 14-5, which led to another timeout by Carlston. Soon the Badgers had an 18-9 advantage that eventually gave way to a decisive 25-15 straight-set victory as the gathering of 7,052 — some of whom had waited outside in a steady rain for upwards of two hours to secure their favorite seats — roared in approval.

DAVID STLUKA

One of the first things you learn watching a ing the whole team because his words would Wisconsin match from the home bench at the otherwise be swallowed by the din. Field House is that a sellout crowd is a powerOne of those moments came when the teams ful force. switched ends, putting the Badgers roughly 20 You don’t just hear it. feet from where the Wisconsin Band was doSometimes you are pummeled by it. ing its thing. The sound on the bench after a resounding Though the roster is predominantly young — kill by sophomore midmiddle blocker Tionna dle blocker Dana Rettke Williams is the lone seONE OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU LEARN WATCHING or a sacrificial dig by junior — there’s a definite A WISCONSIN MATCH FROM THE HOME BENCH nior libero Tiffany Clark business-like vibe to AT THE FIELD HOUSE IS THAT A SELLOUT is almost physical. You the home bench. That’s CROWD IS A POWERFUL FORCE. feel jostled from all a nod to the coaching YOU DON’T JUST HEAR IT. sides, from top to botstaff. SOMETIMES YOU ARE PUMMELED BY IT. tom, as the vocal mix Sheffield, Dildine and from the newly opened White worked together upper deck roils down and collides with energy at Dayton before Sheffield was hired to overfrom the lower bowl. see the Badgers in 2013. They seem to have There were times during the match with the a routine. Buckeyes when, during timeouts, the noise Dildine and White sat on the bench and forced Sheffield to direct his voice to a player charted pertinent lineup data. Neither raised or two sitting on the bench instead of addresstheir voice or seemed upset, even in the midst

TOM LYNN DARREN LEE DARREN LEE

of a slow start in the opening set and some early struggles by sophomore outside hitter Grace Loberg. Both assistants proactively engaged players during timeouts, but all the conversations appeared low-key and to the point. Sheffield, meanwhile, paced slowly back and forth in front of the bench, pensively assaulting pieces of gum and occasionally taking a pull from a bottle of water. Sometimes his arms were crossed in front of him, rumpling his Bucky Badger neck tie. Sometimes he had a hand in his pocket. Sometimes he stood hands on hips. On occasion you’d see a slight cringe, but it vanished quickly. At various junctures, Sheffield would pore over statistics as the match unfolded. Sometimes he did it between sets, sitting down in front of a stat monitor near the bench. Sometimes he got paper updates during timeouts. Sheffield carried an American Volleyball Coaches Association folder that included serve quadrants — designated areas of the court where he wanted his server to target — and in more than one instance it was used to shield quick, instructional, private conversations with his players. At one point, just before the start of the second set on a humid evening, Sheffield made a point of lobbying for more air conditioning in the facility that debuted 88 years ago. The welcomed amenity was part of a recent Field House renovation project, but there are times when it doesn’t seem adequate. “We need more AC,” Sheffield said with a smirk as kids wiped the floor with towels. “That needs to be the lead of any story you write.” Sheffield will tell you that his previous five teams at Wisconsin — all of them reached at least the NCAA Sweet 16 — had different personalities than this one. Some were more outspoken. Some were more edgy. Some were more outwardly intense. This current group looks like it operates better when they take a deep breath.

TOM LYNN

“When they’re revving hot, they’re not actuof the Field House, but sitting on the Wisconally better,” Sheffield said. sin bench provides a unique angle to that reIf there is a take-charge personality for the ality. Badgers based on a single match, it’s sophoIn a span of a couple heartbeats, you see more setter Sydney Hilley. Williams or Rettke or Loberg go from doing During timeouts, while Sheffield was consomething intensely physical (like blocking at ferring with his staff or occupied with the the net) to doing something graceful (like pivofficials, it was Hilley oting and elevating into whose voice of encourposition for a kill) to doFEW SPORTS AT WISCONSIN DEMAND THAT agement rose above ing something that reKIND OF CONSISTENT EYE-HAND COORDINATION, the din and who made quires a deft touch (like BALANCE, TIMING, AWARENESS AND MOVEMENT. personal contact with controlling a dig). IT’S IMPRESSIVE TO WATCH, NO MATTER the likes of Rettke, juNow add a sense of WHAT THE VANTAGE POINT. nior defensive specialist practiced precision, the M.E. Dodge and sophokind needed to serve more outside hitter Molly Haggerty. accurately or put the ball where you want to “Let’s finish this,” Hilley told her teammates on a kill attempt, and you have an uncommonwhen the third set began. ly special skill set. “She’s our compass,” Sheffield said of Hilley. Few sports at Wisconsin demand that kind “She lets us know where we’re headed and of consistent eye-hand coordination, balance, she’s good at it.” timing, awareness and movement. The athleticism needed to play elite-level It’s impressive to watch, no matter what the volleyball is obvious from every vantage point vantage point.

THE FIRE BURNS The Wisconsin men’s basketball team opens practice on Thursday “hungrier than ever” BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM SENIOR WRITER

t the start of Thursday’s season-opening practice, if Wisconsin coach Greg Gard were to line up his players on one baseline and roll a basketball to the other baseline with the understanding that the first one to corral the ball would earn playing time, what would it look like? Gard answered the hypothetical with two words. “Mosh pit,” he said. Competitive fire and depth are music to his ears these days. “There are a lot of opportunities for people,” he said, “and our practices are going to be extremely competitive just because of the bodies that are back and the experience that has been attained. There’s only 200 minutes to hand out each game and we’ll let them sort it out and fight over it.” With the proverbial chip on their shoulder after missing the NCAA tournament for the

first time in two decades, the Badgers will be banking on the return of D’Mitrik Trice and Kobe King from injuries and the availability of Trevor Anderson who sat out last season after transferring from UW-Green Bay. In concert with these additions, they will be counting on Ethan Happ’s low-post presence, Brad Davison’s grittiness, Khalil Iverson’s defensive versatility, Brevin Pritzl’s perimeter scoring, Aleem Ford’s and Nate Reuvers’ growth spurts and Charles Thomas’ and Alex Illikainen’s physicality. There are many pieces to the puzzle. “Once practice starts, it’s going to be a dog fight every day just to get back to where Wisconsin basketball was, and that’s healthy,” said Anderson, who started 20 games as a Green Bay freshman before going to the sidelines for the remainder of the 2016-17 season with a back injury.

“We have a better understanding from last year. I know we were really young with a lot of guys getting thrown in the fire. We got our butts kicked a couple of times that forced a lot of people to grow up mentally, emotionally and physically. We’re hungrier than ever right now.” Nobody epitomizes that hunger more than Davison, the precocious guard who won over Badger fans with his heart and hustle. When practices get under way, he will be cleared for full-contact for the first time since having off-season shoulder surgery. Davison has been counting the days. “I just want to go out there and compete again,” he said. “We’re going to kind of find our identity in these next four weeks — seeing where all the pieces fall into place because we do have a lot of pieces. We have a lot of talent coming back, and it’s young experience, which goes a long way. “A lot was made of the (NCAA tourney) streak ending. It’s kind of in our rearview mirror. But it’s definitely another source of motivation. We have a sour taste in our mouth that no other recent Wisconsin team has had. We look at that as an opportunity — we’ll use it as fuel and let it light our fire.” By the sounds of it, the competition for minutes will stoke those flames.

“One of the big things is the competitive spirit of everybody,” said Trice, who started the first 10 games last season before injuring his foot and taking a medical redshirt. “There’s always someone who can fill your spot, so you have to come with you’re ‘A’ game every day.” As far as answering some questions before the Nov. 6 opener vs. Coppin State, Trice said, “I hope the toughness is there, the mentality that we ended last season with. If it carries over, if that happens, we’ll get progressively better and become the team that we know that we can be.” Happ knows what he wants to see from Day One. “First and foremost, I want to see the energy be at an extremely high level in that first practice,” stressed Happ, who’s on the brink of rewriting the UW record book. “This summer, I felt a lot of guys took a big leap and that confidence is going to be a key through the first month and preseason. “The biggest change is just the confidence in those younger guys. Last year they were a little timid. It will be awhile to determine the starting lineup and who’s coming off the bench. But it’s important to see who’s going to work the hardest, who we can count on every single day.” Click to read more »

SAVING LIVES & SERVING WISCONSIN The UW School of Veterinary Medicine helps make both animal and human lives better. Our discoveries have advanced cancer treatments, we’ve created new ways to fight the flu, and we’re a world leader when it comes to figuring out what keeps cows healthy and happy. We make sure Wisconsin’s dairy industry remains the best.

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We have trained over half of the veterinarians in the state and serve as a resource and referral clinic for all.

Our livestock experts launched The Dairyland Initiative, a program that works directly with farms to optimize cow comfort, health, and production.

Our scientists conduct 75% of the infectious disease research at UW-Madison, including work to prevent pandemic influenza.

AnimalsNeedHeroesToo.com

Our teaching hospital provides exceptional care for animals throughout the state. Of our 27,000 patient visits last year, 80% were from Wisconsin.

INSIDE VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE (9-1, 2-0) Home events in bold. All times CT. HotelRED Invitational, Madison, Wis.:

Sept. 1

#2 Texas

W, 3-1

Sept. 2

High Point

W, 3-1

Sept. 7

at #15 Baylor

L, 1-3

Sept. 9

at North Texas

W, 3-0

at Marquette Invitational, Milwaukee:

Sept. 14 at #21 Marquette W, 3-0 W, 3-1

Sept. 19 Ohio State

W, 3-0

Sept. 22 Rutgers

W, 3-0

CHAD MOSLEY

▲ TAP TO WATCH - Highlights vs. Ohio State

Sept. 15 vs. Illinois State

Sept. 26 at #6 Minnesota 8 p.m.

THIS WEEK The fifth-ranked Badgers (9-1, 2-0 B1G) take to the road for the first time this Big Ten season, facing two ranked opponents. Wisconsin heads to Minneapolis on Wednesday to take on the sixth-ranked Golden Gophers (8-2, 2-0). The match airs live on the Big Ten Network at 8 p.m. The road trip continues on Saturday with a match at No. 16 Purdue (12-1, 1-1). Match time is 6 p.m. CT from Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Indiana. LAST WEEK Wisconsin has won five in a row, its longest winning streak since the 2017 non-conference season, after opening the Big Ten season 2-0. The

Badgers swept Ohio State and Rutgers during the Big Ten-opening week.

Sept. 29 at #16 Purdue

6 p.m.

Oct. 3

at #7 Illinois

8 p.m.

Oct. 6

at Iowa

7 p.m.

NEED TO KNOW The Badgers lead the Big Ten with a team hitting percentage of .304, which would break last season’s school record percentage of .299. UW has hit better than .300 in five matches this season.

Oct. 12 Northwestern

8 p.m.

Oct. 13 #7 Illinois

7 p.m.

Oct. 19 #3 Nebraska

8 p.m.

View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

GOOD TO KNOW Wednesday’s match at Minnesota will air live on the Big Ten Network while Saturday’s match at Purdue will be streamed on BTN Plus. Both matches air in the Madison area on 100.9FM or online with the iHeartRadio app. Live updates are also available on Twitter @BadgerVB.

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

▶ Fighting for a cause on and off the court

▶ Strong start: Badgers blank Buckeyes in B1G opener ▶ Side Out with Shanny: Taller than average

INSIDE WOMEN’S HOCKEY SCHEDULE (0-0-0) Home events in bold. All times CT. Sept. 28 Lindenwood

7 p.m.

Sept. 29 Lindenwood

2 p.m.

Oct. 5

at #10 Mercyhurst 6 p.m.

Oct. 6

at #10 Mercyhurst 2 p.m.

Oct. 13 #9 Minn. Duluth 2 p.m. Oct. 14 #9 Minn. Duluth 2 p.m. Oct. 19 Princeton

7 p.m.

Oct. 21 Princeton Noon

THIS WEEK The No. 2 Badgers open their 2018-19 season at home against Lindenwood. Puck drop for UW’s season opener on Friday is set for 7 p.m. at LaBahn Arena while the series wraps up on Saturday at 2 p.m. LAST YEAR UW won its third-straight WCHA regular-season title and advanced to its fifthstraight NCAA Frozen Four. The Badgers were led by WCHA Forward of the Year Abby Roque, who tallied a league high 41 points, and WCHA Goaltender of the Year and second-team All-American Kristen Campbell, who led the WCHA in every goaltending category.

GOOD TO KNOW A pair of international standouts return to the Badgers this year in Emily Clark and Annie Pankowski. Clark helped Canada earn silver at the 2018 Winter Olympics while Pankowski skated with the United States in its lead up to the Olympics. NEED TO KNOW Tickets for this weekend’s series are still available on UWBadgers.com while fans can also watch the games online via BTN Plus and FloHockey. Fans can follow the action on Twitter (@BadgerWHockey).

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

▶ Badgers named favorites to win WCHA

2 p.m.

Oct. 28 #3 Minnesota

2 p.m.

Nov. 2

at Minnesota St. 6 p.m.

Nov. 3

at Minnesota St. 2 p.m.

Nov. 16 Bemidji State

7 p.m.

Nov. 17 Bemidji State

2 p.m.

Nov. 23 Harvard

7 p.m.

Nov. 24 Harvard

7 p.m.

Dec. 1

Syracuse

Dec. 2

Syracuse Noon

Dec. 7

at St. Cloud State 3 p.m.

Dec. 8

at St. Cloud State 2 p.m.

DAVID STLUKA

▲ TAP TO WATCH - Johnson Weekly Presser: "There's a lot of excitement in our camp"

Oct. 27 #3 Minnesota

2 p.m.

View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

▶ Badgers announce captains for 2018-19 season ▶ UW games to air on iHeartMedia airwaves

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INSIDE MEN’S SOCCER SCHEDULE (3-4-1, 1-1-0) Home events in bold. All times CT. Aug. 24 at Grand Canyon L, 1-2 Aug. 27 Hartford

W, 2-0

Sept. 1

#16 Fordham L, 0-1 2OT

Sept. 3

Valparaiso

Sept. 7

at SIUE

Sept. 9

at Bradley

Sept. 16 #2 Indiana Sept. 21 at Maryland Sept. 26 at Marquette

W, 1-0 L, 0-3 T, 0-0 2OT L, 1-3 W, 2-1 2OT 7 p.m.

Sept. 30 at #5 Michigan St. 2 p.m. Oct. 3

Milwaukee

7 p.m.

Oct. 7

Rutgers

1 p.m.

Oct. 10 Green Bay

THIS WEEK Wisconsin travels to face in-state rival Marquette in Milwaukee for the annual derby game. The match is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT. Wisconsin then gets the next couple days off to regroup before facing the undefeated and fifth-ranked Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. LAST WEEK The Badgers bounced back from their Big Ten season opening loss to No. 2 Indiana with an incredible win over perennial powerhouse Mary-

land, 2-1 (2OT) on Friday night in College Park. Wisconsin scored with less than a minute to go in regulation to send the game to overtime, where the Badgers knocked in the game-winning goal in front of a stunned Terrapin crowd.

Oct. 14 at Penn State Oct. 19 #19 Michigan

TBA 7 p.m.

TOM LYNN

▲ TAP TO WATCH - Badgers win at Maryland

7 p.m.

Oct. 24 at Northwestern 7 p.m. Oct. 28 Ohio State

3 p.m.

View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

GOOD TO KNOW Wisconsin split derby games a season ago, beating Marquette, 3-0, at home, but tied Milwaukee on the road, 0-0. NEED TO KNOW Keep up with all things Badger soccer on Twitter (@BadgerMSoccer).

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

▶ Klutch Klancnick: Wisconsin shocks Maryland in double OT

▶ Badgering: Charles Spragg ▶ Baggot: ‘He’s a total team guy’

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INSIDE WOMEN’S SOCCER SCHEDULE (8-2-1, 2-1-1) Home events in bold. All times CT. Aug. 20 at Marquette

W, 2-0

Aug. 23 #10 Florida State L, 0-3 Aug. 26 at Kentucky

W, 3-1

Aug. 30 at Washington W, 2-1 OT Sept. 2

vs. Portland

W, 2-1

Seattle

Sept. 6

Illinois State

Sept. 9

Loyola-Chicago W, 2-1

W, 1-0

Sept. 14 #12 Northwestern T, 1-1 2OT Sept. 16 Illinois Sept. 20 at Michigan

W, 1-0 L, 0-2

Sept. 23 at Michigan State W, 2-1

LAST WEEK UW split matches in Michigan, losing to the Wolverines 2-0 on Thursday evening and defeating Michigan State, 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.

GOOD TO KNOW UW currently sits third in the Big Ten, behind Rutgers and ahead of Minnesota. The Badgers have allowed less goals than the No. 1 team, Nebraska.

7 p.m.

Sept. 30 Maryland

1 p.m.

Oct. 5

at Indiana

6:30 p.m.

Oct. 7

at Purdue

Noon

Oct. 13 at Minnesota

4 p.m.

Oct. 18 Nebraska

7 p.m.

Oct. 21 at Ohio State

1 p.m.

TOM LYNN

THIS WEEK Wisconsin returns to the McClimon Soccer Complex to host Rutgers on Thursday at 7 p.m., followed by Maryland on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Sept. 27 Rutgers

View full schedule/results »

SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

NEED TO KNOW Wisconsin’s match vs. Rutgers will air on the Big Ten Network on Thursday at 7 p.m. You can also follow the Badgers on Twitter (@BadgerWSoccer).

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

▶ Late energy sparks Badgers’ comeback

▶ Badgers shut down by Wolverines ▶ All Rhodes lead to Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week

INSIDE MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE Home events in bold. All times CT. Sept. 14 Badger Classic Results » Sept. 28 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational 11 a.m. Oct. 13 Wisconsin Pre-Nationals 10 a.m. Oct. 28 at Big Ten Championships Lincoln, Neb. 10:45 a.m. Nov. 9

at NCAA Great Lakes Regional 11 a.m.

Terre Haute, Ind.

View full schedule/results »

▲ TAP TO WATCH - Badger Men Open Season with Strong Showing

THIS WEEK No. 9 Wisconsin hosts the 2018 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational Presented by Under Armour on Friday at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course. The “B” races start at 11 a.m. with the championship races to follow at 12:20 p.m.

GOOD TO KNOW Friday’s meet, the first of three premier meets at the Zimmer Championship Course, will feature six of the top-10 teams in the country: No. 1 Northern Arizona, No. 3 Portland, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Colorado and the No. 9 Badgers.

LAST TIME OUT In his first cross country race in almost two years, junior Olin Hacker shined, winning the Badger Classic while helping UW to the team title. The Badgers recorded 23 points while topping No. 14 Arkansas and Marquette.

NEED TO KNOW Fans can check out UWBadgers.com for spectator information for Friday’s meet. FloTrack will be streaming the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational while fans can follow the action on Twitter (@BadgerTrackXC).

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

▶ Hacker is Back: Junior claims Badger Classic title ▶ 2018 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational 48

▶ 2018 Home Meet Central

SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

DAVID STLUKA

Nov. 17 NCAA Championships 10:45 a.m.

INSIDE WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE Home events in bold. All times CT. Sept. 14 Badger Classic Results » Sept. 28 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational 11 a.m. Oct. 13 Wisconsin Pre-Nationals 10 a.m. Oct. 28 at Big Ten Championships Lincoln, Neb. 10:45 a.m.

THIS WEEK The No. 7 Badgers host their second meet of the year, the 2018 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational Presented by Under Armour, on Friday at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course. The “B” races start at 11 a.m. with the championship races to follow at 12:20 p.m. LAST TIME OUT Alicia Monson won the Badger Classic and led UW to the team title at its season-opening race at the Zimmer Championship Course. Five Badgers were in the top-10 and helped the Cardinal and White beat Northwestern and Marquette.

GOOD TO KNOW Friday’s meet will serve as a preview for the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships as seven of the top-10 teams in the country — No. 1 New Mexico, No. 2 Colorado, No. 5 Boise State, No. 6 NC State, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 8 Villanova and No. 9 Arkansas — will race at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational.

at NCAA Great Lakes Regional 11 a.m.

Terre Haute, Ind.

Nov. 17 NCAA Championships 10:45 a.m. View full schedule/results »

DAVID STLUKA

▲ TAP TO WATCH - Badger Women Take First to Kick off Season

Nov. 9

SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

▶ Monson leads No. 7 Badgers to first win of the year

▶ 2018 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational ▶ 2018 Wisconsin Home Meet Central

INSIDE MEN’S GOLF SCHEDULE Home events in bold. Sept. 9-11 Badger Invitational Results » Sept. 15-16 at Northern Intercollegiate Sugar Grove, Ill. Results » Sept. 22-23 at WLC Fall Invitational

Hartford, Wis.

Sept. 30-Oct. 2

at Marquette Intercollegiate

Erin, Wis.

Oct. 7-8

at Fighting Irish Classic

Notre Dame, Ind.

Oct. 22-23 at Pinetree Intercollegiate

THIS WEEK The Badgers travel east to take part in the Marquette Invitational at Erin Hills Golf Club in Erin, Wis., Sunday-Tuesday, Sept. 30-Oct. 2.

GOOD TO KNOW Hahn has earned 16 top-20 finishes in 35 career tournaments as a Badger, including eight of his last nine starts dating back to last season.

LAST TIME OUT Senior Jordan Hahn recorded yet another top-20 finish, earning a share of 16th place to lead UW at the Northern Intercollegiate at Rich Harvest Farms. Wisconsin placed 11th out of 16 teams.

NEED TO KNOW Wisconsin will compete against Arizona State, Iowa, Marquette, McNeese State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ole Miss, UC Davis and Utah in the 54hole, stroke play tournament.

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

▶ UW places 11th at Northern Intercollegiate ▶ Former Badgers golfer Dan Woltman goes extra mile to win Nebraska Open playoff, add to his summer to remember

Atlanta

2019 Feb. 9-10

at Big Ten Match Play

Palm Coast, Fla.

March 4-5 at Colleton River Collegiate

Bluffton, S.C.

GREG ANDERSON

▲ TAP TO WATCH - Ridge Hosts Annual Badger Invitational

Mar. 16-17 at Mission Inn Spring Spectacular

Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

INSIDE WOMEN’S GOLF SCHEDULE Sept. 16-18 at East-West Match Play Challenge Ann Arbor, Mich. Results » Sept. 28-30 at Schooner Fall Classic

Norman, Okla.

Oct. 8-9

at Illini Women’s Invitational at Medinah

Medinah, Ill.

Oct. 20-21 at Cardinal Cup

Simpsonville, Ky.

2019 Feb. 3-5

at UCF Challenge

Orlando, Fla.

Feb. 24-25 at Westbrook Invitational

Peoria, Ariz.

Mesa, Ariz.

View full schedule/results »

THIS WEEK The Badgers travel to Norman, Okla., for the Schooner Fall Classic at Belmar Golf Club on Friday-Sunday. LAST TIME OUT UW opened the season with a seventh-place finish at the East-West Match Play in Ann Arbor, Mich. GOOD TO KNOW In her first collegiate event, freshman Gabrielle Tomeo sunk a clutch 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to earn a win over Texas A&M’s

Brooke Tyree and propel Wisconsin to the team match play victory.

LON HORWEDEL

Mar. 15-17 at Notre Dame Clover Cup

SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

NEED TO KNOW Wisconsin will compete against Iowa, Baylor, Florida State, Miami, Mississippi State, New Mexico, Notre Dame, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, UNC-Wilmington, Clemson, Oregon and Oklahoma in the 54-hole, stroke play tournament. Action from holes 11, 17 and 18 will be broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest and can be seen on the FOX Sports GO app.

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

▶ 5 Things to Know: Schooner Fall Classic

▶ Badgers eclipse Texas A&M in 18th hole drama ▶ Badgers fall to Oregon in first round of match play

INSIDE WOMEN’S TENNIS SCHEDULE Sept. 20-23 at Milwaukee Tennis Classic

Milwaukee

Results »

Sept. 28-30 at CU Fall Invitational

Boulder, Colo.

Sept. 29-Oct. 7

at Riviera/ITA Women’s All-Americans

Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Oct. 5-7

at St. Mary’s Fall Invite

Moraga, Calif.

Oct. 18-23 at USTA/ITA Regionals

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Oct. 26-27 at Roberta Alison Fall Classic

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Nov. 9-11 at FSU All Conference Showdown

Tallahassee, Fla.

THIS WEEK Wisconsin will divide and conquer this week as UW will send two athletes to Boulder, Colorado, for the Colorado Invitational while another pair of Badgers will head to the ITA All-American Tournament in California. LAST WEEK UW competed in the Milwaukee Tennis Classic Thursday through Sunday. Sara Castellano and Lexi Keberle were the sole Badgers to earn wins.

GOOD TO KNOW Sara Castellano earned a spot in the main singles draw at the ITA Women’s All-American Championships while Lexi Keberle was selected for the pre-qualifying singles draw. The duo also earned a spot in the qualifying doubles tournament.

▶ Castellano drops semi-finals match ▶ Trophy time: Castellano wins ITA Summer Nationals ▶ Nielsen Tennis Stadium breaks ground on renovations

Miami, Fla.

View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

NEED TO KNOW Follow the Badgers via Twitter at @BadgerWTennnis.

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

TOM LYNN

2019 Jan. 11-13 at FIU Spring Invitational