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HOMECOURSE ADVANTAGE Thousands of fans made the trek to the Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course for the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships, making it one of the most enthusiastic crowds ever at the national meet. Boisterous Badgers fans saw Morgan McDonald claim the men’s title and men take eighth place overall, while Alicia Monson finished fourth to lead the women to a 10thplace team finish. PHOTOS BY TOM LYNN
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ONE-HAND WONDER Danny Davis’ fantastic one-handed touchdown grab took the No. 1 spot on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 countdown late Saturday but, more importantly, was crucial to the Badgers’ 14-point fourth-quarter comeback en route to a 47-44 triple-overtime win over Purdue. PHOTO BY DAVID STLUKA
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SNOWY START Weather certainly played a factor on Saturday as the Badgers — no strangers to cold weather — and the rest of the field at the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships had to deal with a little snow during the final cross country meet of the year. PHOTO BY TIMOTHY HUGHES
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#UWTEDDYTOSS Look for #UWTeddyToss on Badgers social media as several UW teams, as well as some Badgers fans, welcome these donated bears to practice, home and other adventures. The second annual Teddy Toss at men’s hockey takes place on Dec. 8 and the bears will return to the Kohl Center to be tossed onto the ice and later provided to local, underprivileged children here in Dane County. PHOTO BY DREW PITTNER-SMITH
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SHOWSTOPPER Jonathan Taylor capped a career-best 321-yard, three-touchdown performance with a 17-yard TD run that brought down the curtain on a 47-44 triple-overtime win over Purdue last Saturday in West Lafayette. The nation’s leading rusher, at 169.9 yards per game, Taylor is a finalist for the Doak Walker Award for the second straight season. PHOTO BY DAVID STLUKA
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BEST OF THE BEST Former Badger and four-time world champion Vicky Opitz accepted the USRowing Female Athlete of the Year last Thursday at the Golden Oars awards dinner at the New York Athletic Club in New York City. PHOTO BY USROWING / BRAGA PHOTOGRAPHY
Championing the UW. Alumni and friends take great pride in giving back, especially during the Annual Campaign. Do your part. MAKE A GIFT TODAY. allwaysforward.org/go/UW
CONTENTS
NOVEMBER 21, 2018 ▪ VOLUME 9, ISSUE 13
DAVID STLUKA
32 TOUGHER TOGETHER Quarterbacks fear them. The Badgers trust them to cause havoc for their opponents. Playing seamlessly together, T.J. Edwards and Ryan Connelly are eager for their final game at Camp Randall Stadium – and a chance to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe.
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PASSING THE TORCH 18 LUCAS AT LARGE
IN FOCUS
18 LUCAS AT LARGE
TOM LYNN
FEATURES
After holding the rebounding record for 27 years, the multi-talented Claude Gregory is excited to now pass the honor to Ethan Happ.
21 BY THE NUMBERS 23 WHAT TO WATCH 27 BADGERING
31 VIRAL VIDEO 41 INSIDE FOOTBALL 43 INSIDE VOLLEYBALL 45 INSIDE BASKETBALL 49 INSIDE HOCKEY
GREG ANDERSON
29 BADGERS GIVE BACK
47 MUSIC CITY
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Now 4-0 for the first time since 2006-07, Wisconsin travels to Nashville for the Challenge in the Music City tournament. 15
Wisconsin Athletic Communications Kellner Hall, 1440 Monroe St. Madison, WI 53711
VIEW ALL ISSUES Brian Lucas
Director of Athletic Communications
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LUCAS AT LARGE
BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM
Passing the torch: Gregory ‘excited’ for Happ
TOM LYNN
W
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hen Claude Gregory broke Clarence Sherrod’s career scoring record and Joe Franklin’s rebounding mark in the early ’80s, he had no idea how long his name might last on the top line in the Wisconsin basketball record book. Records are made to be broken, he assumed without misgivings. “No arguments there,” he thought to himself. “At least I’ll be on the list somewhere.” After playing in 110 games, another UW record, he left the program in 1981. His scoring record fell nine years later to Danny Jones who was then passed by Michael Finley, Alando Tucker (the all-time leader) and Nigel Hayes. Today, Gregory is the fifth-leading scorer with 1,745 points (15.9 ppg). “Every time I got on the court,
I wanted to leave the message, ‘I can run with you guys,’” said Gregory, who flourished during a “Magical” era. Magic Johnson was at Michigan State, Larry Bird at Indiana State, Isiah Thomas at Indiana, Ralph Sampson at Virginia and Danny Ainge at BYU. “When I came out of high school (Calvin Coolidge in Washington, D.C.), I was the player who was under the boards, rebounding, blocking shots,” said the 6-foot-8, 205-pound Gregory. “When I got to Wisconsin, that’s what carried over. I wanted people to say, ‘He played hard and gave it his all.’” Bo Ryan would be the first person to vouch for Gregory’s legacy as a Badger. “He had a nose for the ball and a lunch pail attitude,” said Ryan, who helped recruit Gregory while serving as an assistant coach
on Bill Cofield’s staff from 1976 to 1982. “Claude just played … he really didn’t say much on the court. He never changed expression, even in practice.” On March 10, 1981, Gregory had a signature moment in his final collegiate game, a 64-53 loss to Marquette at the UW Field House. Gregory, the team MVP, did everything within his power to spark the Badgers against the Doc Rivers-led Warriors. He finished with 29 points and 17 rebounds. It was Senior Day — Gregory’s class included Larry Petty and Danny Hastings — and he didn’t remember any game details. “But I remember my parents got to come to Wisconsin for it; that’s probably what stood out the most,” he said. “Mostly what I’m proud about, I got my degree there.”
In 2013, Gregory went into in the University of Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame. During the induction ceremony, it was noted that Gregory was still the Badgers all-time leading rebounder; 32 years removed from his last rebound. “I didn’t think it would actually last that long,’’ he said. Well, it lasted another five years, or until Saturday night when Ethan Happ broke Gregory’s career rebounding mark midway through the first half against Houston Baptist. When it was announced to the Kohl Center crowd, Happ was given a standing ovation. It brought a smile to his face. The 60-year-old Gregory, a financial advisor in Silver Spring, Maryland, knew that it was inevitable that Happ, a fifthyear senior, would pass him as the UW’s top rebounder. And it prompted Gregory to say, “I’m excited for him and I hope it carries over after college.” Gregory, a second-round draft choice of the Washington Bullets, spent a good deal of his professional career in the CBA and overseas. “If you remember how Paul Silas played,” Ryan said, “that’s how Claude played at Wisconsin. There were very few people in his day that could board with him. “He was simply the best rebounder for his time. And now it’s Ethan’s time.” Ryan had a theory on what made Gregory so tenacious. “If you look at families and brothers, Stretch was the older brother,” he said of James (Stretch) Gregory who preceded
Claude to Madison and started 27 games as a freshman during the 1976-77 season, leading the Badgers in scoring (15.9) and rebounding (7.2). Stretch left school the following year. “The next guy in line, the younger brother, Claude, in this case, had to work a heckuva lot more for his shots because the older guy was taking them. The younger brother tends to be a little more aggressive and intuitive based on all the pickup games and blacktop games they played growing up. “I just think Claude grew up hungrier.”
“(GREGORY) WAS SIMPLY THE BEST REBOUNDER FOR HIS TIME,” RYAN SAID. “AND NOW IT’S ETHAN’S TIME.” Happ grew up hungry, too, as the product of a competitive family environment and their pickup games on the driveway and/or local gym in Milan, Illinois. His father Randy played basketball at North Central College (Naperville, Ill.) and his older brother Eric at Carl Sandburg College (Galesburg, Ill.). He also had two cousins who competed at Northwestern: Mark Szott was a football player for the Wildcats and J.A. Happ was a baseball player and he’s still pitching in the major leagues, most recently for the New York Yankees. At a young age, Ethan Happ learned how to battle and scrap. “Ethan hates to lose,” Ryan
said from his winter home in Palm Springs, California. “He’s very zoned in on perfection to the point when he was younger (a UW freshman), he’d let it get to him. He had to learn to deal with it. The best thing to ever happen to Ethan Happ was redshirting and playing against Frank Kaminsky every day. “Obviously, the way he uses his body, he loves to play off contact. There were days when he was kicking guys around and there were days when he would get a little frustrated. I liked coaching those guys who you had to tone down a little bit rather than having to get them excited about competing. “You never had to worry about Ethan Happ competing.” After the 6-10 Happ scored 30 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in a win at Xavier, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas praised Happ on a Twitter post: “The footwork of Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ is impeccable. McHale-esque without the McHale shooting touch. Impressive.’’ Kevin McHale, also 6-10, was a star at the University of Minnesota and with the Boston Celtics. Dating back to his UW-Platteville days, Ryan taught five post moves and named each after an NBA player for the purpose of instant recognition. Since taking over the Badger program, Greg Gard has continued to refer to the McHale, the Moses, the Dominique, the Bernie and the Sikma. Click to read more »
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BY THE NUMBERS USA TODAY
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TOM LYNN
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DAVID STLUKA
▼ MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Morgan McDonald capped off a remarkable UW cross country career in the best way by winning the NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championship on Nov. 17. McDonald made history, becoming the first athlete to win an individual title on their home course since Bob Kennedy of Indiana accomplished the feat in 1992.
1,000
TOM LYNN
VOLLEYBALL ▶ Junior Tiffany Clark picked up career dig No. 1,000 at Ohio State on Friday. The 5-foot-11 libero had nine digs against the Buckeyes and 10 saves at Maryland to bring her career total to 1,011. The transfer from Michigan has 772 digs as a Badger.
◀ MEN’S BASKETBALL Ethan Happ became UW’s all-time leading rebounder with 911 during UW’s 96-59 win over Houston Baptist on Saturday. He also currently ranks seventh in UW history in points (1,596), 12th in assists (293), sixth in blocks (114) and third in steals (181).
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▲ FOOTBALL With 1,869 rushing yards on the year, Jonathan Taylor needs 31 to become just the fourth FBS player to record back-to-back seasons of at least 1,900 yards, joining Iowa State’s Troy Davis (1995-96), TCU’s LaDainian Tomlinson (1999-2000) and Memphis’ DeAngelo Williams (2004-05). Taylor set the FBS freshman record with 1,977 yards last season.
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WHAT TO WATCH DAVID STLUKA
ISLAND TIME
MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. STANFORD WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21 ▪ 1:30PM PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS ▪ ESPN Wisconsin travels to the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament on Paradise Island in the Bahamas for three games, Wednesday through Friday. UW will open the tournament against Stanford at 1:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday on ESPN.
tournament info
FOOTBALL VS. MINNESOTA SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24 ▪ 2:30PM CAMP RANDALL STADIUM ▪ ESPN2
DAVID STLUKA
PAUL BUNYAN’S AXE
It’s Axe Week! Wisconsin closes the regular season against Minnesota at Camp Randall Stadium in the 128th edition of major college football’s most-played rivalry. Watch the game live on ESPN2 at 2:30 p.m. CT.
buy tickets
SEASON CLOSER
VOLLEYBALL AT PENN STATE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24 ▪ 7PM COLLEGE PARK, PA. ▪ BTN
DARREN LEE
No. 8 Wisconsin wraps up the regular season on the road this Saturday at No. 7 Penn State. Watch the nationally-ranked matchup at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network. 23
SEATS & TREATS VALUE PACK Perfect for groups of four or more! Catch Wisconsin sporting events with a Seats & Treats Value Pack! Enjoy tickets, concessions credit and more.
Men’s Hockey: $60 Women’s Hockey: $36 Women’s Basketball: $28 Wrestling: $36 PURCHASE TODAY!
WHAT TO WATCH WEDNESDAY 11/21 MEN’S BASKETBALL at Battle 4 Atlantis vs. Stanford Paradise Island, Bahamas 1:30 p.m. Watch: ESPN Tournament info »
THURSDAY 11/22
FRIDAY 11/23
MEN’S BASKETBALL at Battle 4 Atlantis vs. Florida/Oklahoma Paradise Island, Bahamas Time TBA Tournament info »
VOLLEYBALL at Rutgers New Brunswisck, N.J. 1 p.m. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL at Challenge in the Music City vs. Pittsburgh Nashville, Tenn. 5 p.m. MEN’S HOCKEY at #14 Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. 6:30 p.m. WOMEN’S HOCKEY vs. Harvard Madison, Wis. 7 p.m. Buy tickets »
SUNDAY 11/25 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL at Challenge in the Music City vs. Arkansas Nashville, Tenn. 7:30 p.m.
ALL TIMES CENTRAL
MONDAY 11/26
SATURDAY 11/24 FOOTBALL vs. Minnesota Madison, Wis. 2:30 p.m. Watch: ESPN2 Buy tickets » WOMEN’S BASKETBALL at Challenge in the Music City vs. Tennessee State Nashville, Tenn. 5 p.m. MEN’S HOCKEY at #14 Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. 6:30 p.m.
View more 11/23 events »
View more 11/24 events »
TUESDAY 11/27
WEDNESDAY 11/28
MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. NC State Madison, Wis. 8 p.m. Watch: ESPN2 Buy tickets »
MEN’S & WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING at Texas Invitational Austin, Texas 6 p.m. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Duke Madison, Wis. 8 p.m. Watch: BTN Buy tickets »
VIEW FULL CALENDAR ON UWBADGERS.COM »
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BADGERING...
EVAN & ZANDER WICK
REDSHIRT SOPHOMORES ▪ 165 LBS (EVAN) ▪ 157 LBS (ZANDER) ▪ MURRIETA, CALIF.
Whose idea was it to start wrestling? Evan: My dad had wrestled, but it was me who asked my parents if we could go to wrestling practice. I actually started wrestling one day before Zander. I will always have one day more experience than Zander! Zander: It was our dad’s idea, but our mom likes to claim it was hers. So we don’t really know anymore. We were both all in from day one. How many times have people confused the two of you at tournaments? Evan: My parents alone account for probably 200! Zander: It seems to happen more now that Evan is a total beast and gets a lot of recognition. I don’t know if there is a correlation or not. I think it’s that people are just so excited to see Evan. What is funny is that I don’t tell them I’m not Evan, ha ha. What is it like having to watch each other wrestle a match? Evan: I’m usually worrying about my match, because it is usually right after his. But when I’m not wrestling, I get more nervous for him than I do for myself. Zander: I like watching Evan wrestle. He puts all out there. I think I stay calm most the time, but at NCAAs I yelled a lot. What’s your favorite thing about Wisconsin since you guys are from California? Evan: Definitely not the seasons! Ha ha. I came here for the wrestling and it has not disappointed. The sports culture is second to none. People are very enthusiastic about athletics and that is something that California does not quite have. Zander: The thing that I like most is how people from Wisconsin think that they live in the dairy state, but we all know that California is the true dairy state. Click to read more »
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We didn’t invent the term “gemutlicHKeit” but we did perfect it. Welcome to a state of gemutlichkeit.
BADGERS GIVE BACK SPOTLIGHT
badgers give back
(Thank)Full of Happiness this Thanksgiving Giving families in our community a holiday they’ll want to remember BY BADGERS GIVE BACK STAFF
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et our lives be full of both thanks and giving.” To ensure that no family goes without a warm Thanksgiving meal, 35 Wisconsin Athletics staff members and student-athletes teamed up to fight hunger in Madison. Volunteers welcomed families at the Goodman Community Center on Sunday, Nov. 18th for their annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive and distributed the ingredients necessary for a home-cooked holiday meal. “It certainly puts a smile on your face,” said Jackie Davenport, Wisconsin Athletics director of community relations. “If we can help provide a child, mom or dad with a great Thanksgiving meal, we’ve done our job.” The Badgers spent the day building grocery baskets and greeting each family with a warm wish of a happy holiday. A number of local organizations, including Wisconsin Athletics, partner together each year and contribute tremendous amounts of food, money and time to help our community. “You really get to see immediate reactions to
the lives you are touching,” sophomore softball pitcher Haley Hestekin added. “It is an incredibly rewarding experience to impact families in need.” Thanksgiving baskets are offered to low-income families in Dane County and touch the lives of thousands of individuals. “My favorite part of all our efforts is seeing how appreciative both the people we volunteer with and the families receiving the food are,” junior rower Lauren O’Connor said. “There are a lot of families who rely on our Thanksgiving food drives during the holidays. “There was an entire gym full of food and hearing how it would be emptied then filled again the next day to feed everyone made me realize how important every single donation is.” Smiles of sincerity spread from volunteer to volunteer and reminded each person of the true meaning of Thanksgiving: thankfulness for one another and the fortunes each person holds dear. As we approach the holiday, may we all gather with a grateful heart. ▪
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VIRAL VIDEO
MORGAN McDONALD CROWNED NCAA INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION UP NEXT:
DRIVEN || SEASON 4 || EPISODE 7
HAPP SETS ALL-TIME REBOUNDING RECORD
FOLLOW THE BADGERS â–¶ 31
DAVID STLUKA
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hey have shown so much compatibility as starting inside linebackers that you rarely get one without the other. They read and react in unison. So much so that their anticipation and actions are the equivalent of completing each other’s sentences or thoughts. Only they’re finishing plays. T.J. Edwards and Ryan Connelly usually arrive at the same time in the same foul mood. Like they did during a goal line stand at Purdue. “I do remember that,” said Connelly, revisiting one of the game’s turning points. “I was supposed to be outside of the fullback and the running back just kind of ran into me. I knew T.J. was coming from inside out, so I made sure I was outside of it (the ball) and he came and cleaned it up.” Edwards had his own version. “Ryan stopped him initially and I just came and jumped on the pile to take his tackle,” he said. “It’s kind of how we’ve been for this last
stretch. For some reason, I always find myself right next to him on the play. When we’re out there flying around, you can feel the energy from him.” You’d be hard-pressed to find a better linebacker tandem in college football. Find the football and you’ll find No. 53 (Edwards) and No. 43 (Connelly) in some combination. Edwards has 86 tackles, Connelly has 84. Edwards has 10.5 tackles for loss, Connelly has 10. Both fifth-year seniors have three sacks. Counting special teams, they were each on the field for 100 plays last Saturday. Although they were both successful high school quarterbacks — Edwards posted a 17-3 record as a starter (Lake Villa, Illinois) and Connelly led his team to a Class 6A state championship (Eden Prairie, Minnesota) — they have different skill sets on defense and different personalities. “What they have in common,” Bob Bostad opined, “is they want to get to the ball.”
Bostad, the inside linebackers coach, didn’t Neither has thought much about what they mince words on Edwards and Connelly. When will leave behind. But since they will be runasked about their legacies, he responded in ning out of the tunnel Saturday for the final soft, measured bursts, “Two super productive time at Camp Randall Stadium — greeted on players … two guys who play with high motors the turf by loved ones during the pre-game se… two selfless program guys who put the team nior introductions — they were prodded into ahead of themselves.” taking a crack at their legacy. But he didn’t stop “I came here and there. worked as hard as I “The thing I’ve been could to get to where “TWO SUPER PRODUCTIVE PLAYERS … really proud about this I’m at,” said Edwards, TWO GUYS WHO PLAY WITH HIGH MOTORS … year,” he said, “is that who has 340 tackles TWO SELFLESS PROGRAM GUYS WHO PUT whatever was going on in 51 games, 50 starts. THE TEAM AHEAD OF THEMSELVES.” in the game, good or “I tried to help guys bad, they were consisyounger than me to foltently positive for the young guys. Whether it low that path as well. Hopefully, I’ll leave here was a turnover or whatever happened that was and be remembered as a good person and a negative, they never blinked, never flinched.” good football player.” But it doesn’t stop there. “Off the top of my head, I added to the walk“It’s in those times that no one sees after a on legacy, the list of walk-ons who have conloss,” Bostad went on, “You’ve got this craptributed to the program,” said Connelly, who py feeling — like you’ve been punched in the has 246 tackles in 51 games, 25 starts. “A linestomach — and this load on your back at the backer who took the most out of his opportusame time. But the attitude that these guys nities would probably be the best thing that had was outstanding.” could be remembered about me.”
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▪▪▪▪ passing things off. Or, if we’re in man (coverEdwards couldn’t remember the first time age) and he’s going to overtake my man, I don’t that he met Connelly on campus. really have to tell him to overtake. It just hap“We weren’t that close our freshman year, pens because we know each other’s tendenwe weren’t roommates or anything like that,” cies.” he said. “As time went Last year, the Badon, the position group gers had to improvise started to get close and after Cichy suffered a “OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I ADDED TO I definitely gravitated season-ending knee THE WALK-ON LEGACY, THE LIST OF WALK-ONS towards his personalinjury during training WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROGRAM,” ity. We think the same camp. Edwards and SAID CONNELLY. “A LINEBACKER WHO TOOK on some things and Connelly started the THE MOST OUT OF HIS OPPORTUNITIES WOULD that helped mold that opener; Orr started PROBABLY BE THE BEST THING THAT COULD friendship and bond. the next eight games BE REMEMBERED ABOUT ME.” “On the field, we with Edwards before a started playing well toleg injury to Orr thrust gether and it went from there.” Connelly back into the starting lineup for the As true freshmen, Edwards and Connellast five games. ly both redshirted on the scout team and “This is kind of our first year where we’ve learned by watching Marcus Trotter and Dertruly been out there together for the entire ek Landisch, the starting inside linebackers. time,” said Edwards, who has paired with ConIn 2015, Edwards started all 13 games alongside Leon Jacobs (3 games), Chris Orr (6 games) and Jack Cichy (4 games). A preseason injury sidelined Edwards for the 2016 opener at Lambeau Field. Cichy and Orr were the starters against LSU, but Orr blew out his knee on the first defensive snap and was replaced by Connelly, who came up with seven tackles, including a clutch open-field hit on Leonard Fournette. Connelly started the following week with Cichy before Edwards returned. After Cichy was injured at Iowa, Connelly jumped back into the starting lineup with Edwards for the final seven games of the season. They meshed well. “We just know where each other is,” Connelly said. “That’s really helpful on defense where you’re
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DAVID STLUKA
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TOM LYNN
nelly for all 11 starts. “We’ve had good chemnelly said shyly. istry and played well off each other. He has In the same breath, he admitted, “He (Borbeen a guy that I can lean on for mental things. land) was a little different player than me.” “The way he observes and reads and reacts is Fair enough. But how is Edwards different something that I’ve tried to put into my game. from Connelly? Instead of trying to read too much, he reads “I always think that when T.J. hits you — you his first key and he goes. know he hits you,” Connelly said. “I can always “He’s a guy who’s gotell when he gets some ing to shoot (a gap) all good smacks on people the time and he makes and he’s really good at “I CAME HERE AND WORKED AS HARD AS I COULD a lot of plays doing that. reading the quarterTO GET TO WHERE I’M AT,” SAID EDWARDS. He’s a guy who’s very back and getting his “I TRIED TO HELP GUYS YOUNGER THAN ME TO downhill and aggreshands on the ball. FOLLOW THAT PATH AS WELL. HOPEFULLY, I’LL sive. Playing next to “I feel like he’s always LEAVE HERE AND BE REMEMBERED AS A GOOD him, I know he’s going in the right spots.” PERSON AND A GOOD FOOTBALL PLAYER.” to be fast all the time Edwards has nine caand it kind of makes my reer interceptions, tying job a little easier to be him with Craig Raddatz honest.” for the most career picks by a Wisconsin lineConnelly agreed, “I’m more of a slasher causbacker. For perspective, former cornerback ing havoc.” There have been times when ConSojourn Shelton also had nine. Edwards has nelly has blown up a play by exploding through spaced them out: three as a sophomore, four a blocker and upending the running back, not as a junior and two this season. unlike former UW linebacker Chris Borland. “I’d say he’s pretty calm for the most part but “Being compared to him would be cool,” Conthe thing that most people don’t know about
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him — and I’ve seen it in him — he’s super competitive,” Connelly said. “He just doesn’t always let people in on how competitive he is. He doesn’t like losing.” In turn, Edwards said of Connelly, “You can see his work ethic in everything he does.” Outside the lines, both are self-assured and engaging. Each in his own way. “To most he’s quiet,” Edwards said of Connelly. “But he’s someone who keeps things light all the time. He’s very subtle with his
DAVID STLUKA
jokes. He’s actually a tremendously funny guy.” Funny? “That’s what he said?” Connelly posed. “Maybe when I get more comfortable with people, I get to know them, I like pushing buttons. Obviously, I know all of T.J.’s buttons.” Bostad knows how to push theirs, too, by emphasizing and reemphasizing “getting to the ball.” “We definitely talk about that a lot,” Connelly confirmed. And it has sunk in. “We have to be around the ball — that’s something we take pride in,” said Edwards, who along with Connelly is playing for his third linebackers coach. “We try to be there on every play. Most of it has to do with effort and mindset. He (Bostad) has definitely ingrained that in us the past couple of years.” Nobody will have to push any buttons to get the Badgers ready for the Gophers. On Monday, Connelly spoke to the team. “I’d say for the majority of the team they don’t need any extra motivation.” Nonetheless, Edwards and Connelly will be motivated by something else. “It’s going to be a hard fact to deny,” Edwards said, “but I’m playing my last game here.” During senior introductions, Edwards will run out to his mom, dad, sister and brother’s wife. Connelly will run out to his dad, brother and girlfriend. “It will be kind of special,” Connelly said, “to celebrate with them.” And him, No. 53. But that was understood and left unsaid by No. 43.
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{Madison, WI}
A SPACE THAT ENERGIZES.
A city that entertains. Frank Lloyd Wright designed this building to be different. Its views, its curves, its location. Every feature was chosen with one purpose: to inspire. It’s a space that encourages team building by day, in a location that fosters team bonding by night. Visit MononaTerrace.com.
Š2018 Monona Terrace
INSIDE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (7-4, 5-3) Home events in bold. All times CT. Aug. 31 Western Kentucky W, 34-3 Sept. 8 New Mexico Sept. 15 BYU
L, 21-24
Sept. 22 at Iowa Oct. 6
W, 45-14 W, 28-17
Nebraska
W, 41-24
Oct. 13 at #12 Michigan L, 13-38 Oct. 20 Illinois ▲ TAP TO WATCH - Wisconsin vs. Purdue Highlights
GOOD TO KNOW UW has had at least one 100yard rusher in each game of its 14-game win streak over Minnesota. A total of 11 different players have combined for 16 100-yard performances during the streak. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 149 yards in last year’s meeting with the Gophers.
LAST WEEK The Badgers mounted their second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in a road game, overcoming a 14-point deficit to emerge with a 47-44 win over Purdue in triple overtime last Saturday. Jonathan Taylor had 321 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score.
NEED TO KNOW Saturday’s game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. CT and airs live on ESPN2, with Jason Benetti, Kelly Stouffer and Olivia Dekker on the call. Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas, Mark Tauscher and Scott Nelson will call the game statewide on the Badger Sports Network and worldwide via iHeartRadio. Live stats are available via UWBadgers.com and the Badger Gameday app.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Bringing running back: Taylor’s numbers off the charts
Homecoming
Oct. 27 at Northwestern L, 17-31 Nov. 3
Rutgers
W, 31-17
Nov. 10 at #20 Penn St. L, 10-22 Nov. 17 at Purdue
W, 47-44 3OT
Nov. 24 Minnesota
2:30 p.m.
DAVID STLUKA
THIS WEEK Wisconsin closes the regular season by hosting Minnesota (5-6, 2-6) at Camp Randall Stadium in the 128th edition of major college football’s most-played rivalry — the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. The Badgers have won 14 straight meetings with the Golden Gophers.
W, 49-20
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
FOLLOW US:
▶ High Praise for Jonathan Taylor ▶ Triple OT Thriller: Wisconsin picks off Purdue, 47-44
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INSIDE VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE (20-6, 13-5) Home events in bold. All times CT. Sept. 29 at #16 Purdue
W, 3-0
Oct. 3
at #7 Illinois
W, 3-1
Oct. 6
at Iowa
Oct. 12 Northwestern Oct. 13 #7 Illinois
L, 2-3 W, 3-0 L, 1-3
Oct. 19 #5 Nebraska
W, 3-2
Oct. 21 Iowa
W, 3-0
Oct. 27 at Michigan State W, 3-0 ▲ TAP TO WATCH - Highlights vs. Maryland
THIS WEEK No. 8 Wisconsin wraps up the regular season with two road matches this weekend. The Badgers travel to New Brunswick, New Jersey, on Friday for a match against Rutgers (6-25, 0-18). First serve is at 1 p.m. CT from the College Avenue Gym. On Saturday, UW plays at No. 7 Penn State (226, 13-5) live on the Big Ten Network. The two teams face off at 7 p.m. from Rec Hall in University Park, Pennsylvania. LAST WEEK The Badgers have won four in a row after winning at Ohio State and Maryland last weekend. Sophomore Sydney Hilley was named the Big Ten Player of the Week and the Big Ten Setter of the Week for the second straight week
after averaging 14.83 assists and 3.67 digs per set on the weekend. GOOD TO KNOW The 64-team bracket for the 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship will be announced on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU. The Badgers are 43-21 in 21 years of the tournament and are looking for their sixth straight appearance.
Oct. 31 #3 Minnesota
L, 1-3
Nov. 4
#14 Michigan
L, 1-3
Nov. 9
#12 Purdue
W, 3-2
Nov. 10 Indiana
W, 3-0
Nov. 16 at Ohio State
W, 3-0
Nov. 17 at Maryland
W, 3-0
Nov. 23 at Rutgers
GREG ANDERSON
Oct. 26 at #12 Michigan W, 3-2
1 p.m.
Nov. 24 at #7 Penn State 7 p.m. View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Friday’s match can be heard in the Madison area on 100.9 FM while Saturday’s match will air on Rewind 92.1 or online with the iHeartRadio app. Saturday’s match airs live on the Big Ten Network while live updates are available on Twitter @BadgerVB.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Balanced offense leads Badgers past feisty Terps
FOLLOW US:
▶ Badgers blank Buckeyes ▶ Volleyball signs four for 2019
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INSIDE MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE (3-0, 0-0) Home events in bold. All times CT. Nov. 2
UW-Oshkosh W, 82-70
Exhibition
Nov. 6
Coppin State W, 85-63
Nov. 13 at Xavier
W, 77-68
Nov. 17 Houston Baptist W, 96-59 at Battle 4 Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas:
Nov. 21 vs. Stanford
1:30 p.m.
Nov. 23 vs. TBA ▲ TAP TO WATCH - Happ Sets All-Time Rebounding Record in Win Over Houston Baptist
THIS WEEK Off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2014-15, No. 25 Wisconsin will travel to the Bahamas for three games at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. UW opens play on Wednesday against Stanford before facing either Florida or Oklahoma on Thursday. Butler, Dayton, MTSU and No. 4 Virginia will play on the other half of the bracket and UW will face one of those teams on Friday. LAST WEEK Ethan Happ posted a pair of big performances as Wisconsin posted a 77-68 win at Xavier and a 96-59 win over Houston Baptist. Happ finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds against the Musketeers and then tallied 15 points and 12 boards against
Nov. 27 NC State
8 p.m.
HBU en route to setting UW’s all-time rebounding record.
Nov. 30 at #20 Iowa
7 p.m.
Dec. 3
Rutgers
7 p.m.
GOOD TO KNOW Sophomore D’Mitrik Trice is off to a hot start, matching Ethan Happ with a team-high 18.3 points per game. He heads to the Bahamas shooting 65.0 percent from 3-point range, hitting 13-of-20 from beyond the arc.
Dec. 8
at Marquette
4 p.m.
NEED TO KNOW Wednesday’s Battle 4 Atlantis opener tips at 1:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on either ESPN or ESPN2. Jon Arias and Andy North will call all three games from the Bahamas statewide on the Badger Sports Network and worldwide via iHeartRadio. Live stats are available via UWBadgers.com and the Badger Gameday app.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Happ earns second-straight Big Ten honor
Dec. 13 Savannah State
DAVID STLUKA
Nov. 22 vs. Florida/Oklahoma
7 p.m.
Dec. 22 Grambling State 11 a.m. Dec. 29 at W. Kentucky 4:30 p.m. Jan. 3
Minnesota
Jan. 6
at Penn State 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 11
#24 Purdue
8 p.m. 8 p.m.
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
FOLLOW US:
▶ ‘Make ‘Em Believe’ excerpt: Battle 4 Atlantis ▶ Badgers roll to 3-0 with 96-59 win
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INSIDE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE (4-0, 0-0) Home events in bold. All times CT. Nov. 4
UW-Oshkosh W, 79-51
Exhibition
Nov. 8
Winthrop
W, 76-41
Nov. 13 at Milwaukee W, 68-57 Nov. 17 N. Dakota St. W, 64-53 Nov. 19 IUPUI
W, 65-64
at Challenge in the Music City, Nashville, Tenn.:
Nov. 23 vs. Pittsburgh
5 p.m.
Nov. 24 at Tennessee State 5 p.m. Nov. 25 vs. Arkansas Nov. 28 Duke
THIS WEEK Wisconsin (4-0) travels to Nashville this Thanksgiving weekend, competing in Challenge in the Music City. UW takes on Pittsburgh (2-3), host Tennessee State (0-3) and Arkansas (2-1) in the round-robin tournament on Friday-Sunday. LAST WEEK Wisconsin opened the season 4-0 for the first time since 2006-07 after beating previously undefeated IUPUI in overtime, 65-64, on Tuesday. Senior Marsha Howard scored the game-winning back with three seconds left in OT.
GOOD TO KNOW The Badgers are undefeated on the season thanks to balanced scored with three players tallying 10-or-more points in all four games. Senior Marsha Howard and freshman Imani Lewis have both scored in double figures in all four contests, averaging 15.0 and 13.3 points per game, respectively, on the season.
8 p.m.
Dec. 4
Marshall
7 p.m.
Dec. 8
at Green Bay
1 p.m.
Dec. 12 Chicago State
7 p.m.
Dec. 21 Evansville
7 p.m.
GREG ANDERSON
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Badgers Battle to Win in Overtime
7:30 p.m.
Dec. 28 at #23 Minnesota 8 p.m. Dec. 31 Purdue
2 p.m.
Jan. 3
at Penn State
6 p.m.
Jan. 7
at #12 Iowa
7 p.m.
Jan. 13
Indiana
2 p.m.
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW All of this weekend’s games can be heard in the Madison area on 100.9FM or online with the iHeartRadio app. Live updates are available on Twitter @BadgerWBB.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Badgers win overtime thriller over IUPUI, 65-64
FOLLOW US:
▶ Badgers battle to overcome NDSU, 68-57 ▶ Morgan Paige returns to Kohl Center as NDSU asst. coach
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YEARS S THE DIF
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SCHEDULE (5-7-0, 1-3-0)
GREG ANDERSON
INSIDE MEN’S HOCKEY Home events in bold. All times CT. Oct. 19 at Clarkson
L, 2-4
Oct. 20 at St. Lawrence
W, 7-1
Oct. 26 Michigan Tech
L, 2-6
Oct. 27 Michigan Tech
W, 6-2
Nov. 2
at #14 N. Dakota L, 0-5
Nov. 3
at #14 N. Dakota L, 2-3 OT
Nov. 9
#16 Minnesota
L, 2-3
Nov. 10 #16 Minnesota W, 3-1 Nov. 16 at #6 Ohio State L, 0-4 Nov. 17 at #6 Ohio State L, 1-3 Nov. 23 at #14 Michigan 6:30 p.m. Nov. 24 at #14 Michigan 6:30 p.m.
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Wisconsin Hockey's 2018 Signing Class
THIS WEEK Wisconsin continues road Big Ten action with a trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Badgers face No. 16 Michigan (6-5-0, 2-2-0-0 B1G) on Friday and Saturday. Both games are slated for 6:30 p.m. CT starts. LAST WEEK The Badgers dropped a pair last weekend at No. 6 Ohio State, losing 4-0 and 3-1. NEED TO KNOW Sophomore forward Sean Dhooghe scored his
team-leading seventh goal of the season at Ohio State in the Badgers’ 12th game. That’s already one more than the six he scored in 37 games as a freshman last season.
Nov. 30 #6 Penn State
7 p.m.
Dec. 1
#6 Penn State
7 p.m.
Dec. 7
Michigan State
7 p.m.
Dec. 8
Michigan State
7 p.m.
Jan. 4
#7 Denver
7 p.m.
Jan. 5
#7 Denver
7 p.m.
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
GOOD TO KNOW Both games will stream on BTN Plus ($). Both games will air on 1070 WTSO. Both will air across the Badger Sports Network and stream at Badgersportsnetwork.com. Both are also available on the iHeartRadio app.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Elite offensive class signs to join Wisconsin men’s hockey
FOLLOW US:
▶ Wisconsin to retire Mark Johnson’s jersey on Feb. 9 ▶ Osiecki’s secret? Finding, chiseling NHL-caliber defensemen
49
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SCHEDULE (13-1-0, 7-1-0)
DAVID STLUKA
INSIDE WOMEN’S HOCKEY Home events in bold. All times CT. Oct. 5
at Mercyhurst
W, 6-1
Oct. 6
at Mercyhurst
W, 5-3
Oct. 13 #4 Minn. Duluth W, 4-2 Oct. 14 #4 Minn. Duluth W, 3-1
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Johnson Weekly Presser: "It's nice to be whole again"
THIS WEEK The No. 1 Badgers step out of conference play to host Harvard (1-3-1, 1-3-1 ECAC) at LaBahn Arena. Puck drop on Friday is 7 p.m. while Saturday’s game starts at 8 p.m., an hour later than the originally scheduled start. LAST WEEK Wisconsin swept Bemidji State at LaBahn Arena, earning a 5-0 win on Friday before blanking the Beavers, 3-0, on Saturday. UW outshot the Beavers 88-27 to extend its unbeaten streak against BSU to 17 games.
GOOD TO KNOW Sophie Shirley leads all WCHA rookies in points this year with 15 off nine goals and six assists. The reigning WCHA Rookie of the Month enjoyed a three-point weekend against Bemidji State last weekend.
Oct. 19 Princeton
W, 4-3
Oct. 21 Princeton
W, 3-0
Oct. 27 #3 Minnesota
L, 0-1
Oct. 28 #3 Minnesota
W, 4-1
Nov. 2
at Minnesota St. W, 2-1
Nov. 3
at Minnesota St. W, 2-0
Nov. 16 Bemidji State
W, 5-0
Nov. 17 Bemidji State
W, 3-0
Nov. 23 Harvard
7 p.m.
Nov. 24 Harvard
8 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.
2 p.m.
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Friday’s game against the Crimson is sold out, but tickets remain for Saturday’s contest. Both games this weekend can be seen online via BTN Plus ($) or FloHockey ($) and fans can follow the action on Twitter (@BadgerWHockey).
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ No. 1 Badgers crush Bemidji State 3-0
FOLLOW US:
▶ No. 1 Badgers race past the Beavers, 5-0 ▶ Badgers adjust game time against Harvard
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