Former University of Wisconsin standout Jolene Anderson, who was waived by the Connecticut Sun Wednesday, told the Duluth News Tribune she will head to France next month to play professionally if she doesn't land with another WNBA team."The WNBA is a business, and it was a great three months with the Sun, but you just have to move on," Anderson told the newspaper.To read the whole story, click... >>MORE
Keegan Meuer, a 19-year-old winger and former Madison Memorial High School standout, has made a verbal commitment to attend Wisconsin and play for the Badgers starting in 2009-10. Meuer will come to UW after playing his third season with Waterloo of the U.S. Hockey League. He's expected to be one of the top performers for the Black Hawks after totaling 2 goals, 22 assists and 24 points in 52 games last season. Colorado College and Minnesota State-Mankato were among other schools to show an interest in Meuer. Meuer is no stranger to the Badgers. His uncles, Jeff and Rob Andringa, were defensemen for the men's hockey team. His father, Kelly, played for the men's soccer squad, while his sisters, Molly and Katy, played for the women's soccer team. For more on the story, check The State Journal on... >>MORE
UW offensive coordinator Paul Chryst loves the talk he always gives to his offense prior to the opening game. His theme is always the same. "This is our chance, to start building the identity of this group," Chryst will tell his players. "This group has never done it, so it's a clean slate. You get to build on it." The Badgers list 12 starters on offense, with a tight end and H-back. Counting co-starters listed at one receiver position, 11 of the 13 players listed have at least six starts under their belts. The exceptions are sophomore receivers David Gilreath and Maurice Moore, who have never started a game. That's a lot of experience to build on, although Chryst is a notorious glass-is-half-empty guy when talking to the media. "It's a box of chocolates," Chryst said when asked if he knew what to expect out of the offense this season. "There's nervousness and fear, we'll never get a first down and we'll never score a point the whole season. We do have some guys coming back that have... >>MORE
Sports Illustrated's panel of college football writers weighed in with its predictions for the season Friday. Seems they think highly of UW. All seven have the Badgers getting a Bowl Championship Series berth. Stewart Mandel, Cory McCartney and Bill Trocchi have them facing Southern California in the Rose Bowl. Andy Staples has them going against Missouri in the Fiesta Bowl. Luke Winn has them hooking up with Georgia in the Rose Bowl. Arash Markazi has them going against Clemson in the Orange Bowl. Gennaro Filice envisions a UW-Arizona State duel in the Rose Bowl. You can check out the whole package at ... >>MORE
Just to show I'm a fair-and-balanced reporter, today I will present my top-5 reasons Badgers fans should be encouraged going into the season. This counters the earlier post about my five biggest questions. (I will also refrain from making any more references to the closed-practice policy, lest I ruffle any more sensitive readers). Here goes, in descending order again: 5, Garrett Graham: While I acknowledge Travis Beckum's hamstring injury is a problem, the Badgers can be comforted in having another really good player at the position. (I know, technically, Beckum is now considered an H-back and Graham is a tight end.) The guess here is Graham will be the team's leading receiver after the first few games. 4, Defensive line coach Charlie Partridge and offensive line coach Bob Bostad: Nothing against the two guys who held the jobs last year. By all accounts Randall McCray, the former D-line coach, has been a nice fit as recruiting coordinator. It remains to be seen how he does coaching outside linebackers. Bob Palcic, the former O-line coach, is a savvy... >>MORE
The WNBA's Connecticut Sun waived rookie guard Jolene Anderson, a former University of Wisconsin athlete, Wednesday to clear a spot to sign Russian forward Svetlana Abrosimova.Anderson, UW's all-time leading scorer, averaged 4.0 points in 24 games. A second-round pick in this year's draft, she started seven games but shot just 27.8 percent from the field.After cracking the starting lineup early in the season, Anderson's playing time diminished."It's hard to let a player go at this point in the season," Sun coach Mike Thibault told the team's official Web site. "She's done a great job for us, but our feeling as a staff is that we needed more veteran experience as we attempt to win a championship."Connecticut resumes play -- the WNBA's Olympic break is over, with the season resuming Thursday -- on top of the Eastern Conference with a 16-10... >>MORE
Normally, four days before the opener, I would have a pretty good idea of how things will go for the Badgers. Sure, there are always surprises, and injuries are the great unknown. But at least I would have a decent idea of the team's strengths and weaknesses. This year, not so much. I could blame it on watching only two scrimmages during fall camp. But the more I talk to the coaches, I'm not sure they know what to expect either. UW might be ranked No. 12 in the coaches' poll and No. 13 in the media poll. They've got 12 projected senior starters and 18 returning starters from the Outback Bowl. Those returning starters do not include tailback P.J. Hill and fullback Chris Pressley on offense. They have 18 starts between them. The defensive starters from the bowl game don't include cornerback Allen Langford, who has 31 career starts. So, how can a team with so much experience and such a high ranking have so many question marks? Good question. Injuries to several key returning players are a big part of it. So is a new starting quarterback who... >>MORE
Not only will the University of Wisconsin's football game at Michigan on Sept. 27 be the Big Ten Conference debut for new Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez, it will be a homecoming for Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps.The Associated Press is reporting that Michigan will honor Phelps during the Wolverines' conference opener against the Badgers in Ann Arbor, Mich. Phelps spoke to the AP hours before leaving Beijing, where he won a record eight gold medals at the Summer Olympics.His road to Olympic history began in Ann Arbor, where he spent the past four years living and training. Phelps trained with Club Wolverine and served as a volunteer assistant coach for Michigan's men's swimming team.... >>MORE
As the guy who regularly checks the office fax machine, I inevitably get the first look at the daily birth announcements from the local hospitals.From time-to-time, familiar names will jump off the paper and that was the case today when news came that University of Wisconsin men's basketball player Marcus Landry and wife Efueka had become proud parents of a new baby daughter on Wednesday.That makes three children for the first family of college basketball in Wisconsin (Efueko is a former Marquette player). The newest addition to the Landry home will have two siblings -- Marcus Jr., 3, and Mariah, 2.Of course, this development means the Landry kids now have the edge on any future 3-on-2 fast-breaks. But if anyone can handle it, Marcus and Efueko can.They seemed to be enjoying themselves -- as parents -- this summer when I saw them as they passed by our Capital Newspapers booth while taking a lap around the Art Fair on the Square. I'm guessing that, for Marcus, shopping for an oil portrait of Bo Ryan (OK, maybe they weren't) beat a lap up and down the hill... >>MORE
UW coach Bret Bielema released his updated two-deep roster and fifth-year senior Allan Evridge, as expected, is listed as the starting quarterback for the opening game against Akron on Aug. 30. The Badgers finished up fall camp on Tuesday and began full-time preparations Wednesday for Akron. Today's updated two-deep roster lists the expected starters for that game, barring injuries. No real surprises. Jaevery McFadden is the middle linebacker, Maurice Moore is ahead of Kyle Jefferson at one receiver spot and Mario Goins and Allen Langford are the starting cornerbacks. Here's the depth chart. Bielema will talk to us later. I'll have more after that. 2008 Depth Chart as of Aug. 20, 2008OffenseQuarterback4 Allan Evridge, 6-2, 212, Sr.18 Dustin Sherer, 6-4, 213, Jr.Tailback39 P.J. Hill, 5-11, 236, Jr.30 Zach Brown, 5-11, 207, So.Fullback44 Chris Pressley, 6-1, 259, Sr. 34 Bill Rentmeester, 6-1, 248, Sr.Wide Receiver85 David Gilreath, 5-11, 165, So.1 Nick Toon, 6-3, 214,... >>MORE
