'Sconnie Six Pack 11/22
Bucks win at home, the Badgers get some key returns to their 2023 football roster, a preview of Wisconsin basketball's holiday tournament field, and more!
In Pat Connaughton’s return from injury, the Bucks defeat the Trail Blazers at home
The Milwaukee Bucks (12-4) maintained their league-best home record (9-1) last night defeating the Portland Trail Blazers (10-7) by a score of 119-111. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks on offense with 37 points while Brook Lopez highlighted Milwaukee’s defensive efforts with five blocks.
Although Milwaukee had one of its best shooting nights of the season making 54.7% of its shots from the field, it was the efforts on the defensive end that were perhaps the biggest takeaways from the night. Lopez had five blocks as he continues to lead the NBA in blocks per game by a wide margin. He currently averages 2.8 blocks per game - the second best player in the league only averages 1.9 blocks per game. Eric Nehm of The Athletic asked some of the other members of the Bucks about Lopez’ defensive performance this season and Jrue Holiday had a to the point response": “Defensive Player of the Year.”
Pat Connaughton made his season debut for Milwaukee last night and, despite playing only 16 minutes, made his presence felt. Connaughton did not play in the first quarter, but came off the bench to start the second quarter. Connaughton had seven points, two rebounds, and an assist on the night. Much like his teammate Lopez, Connaughton’s biggest contributions came on the defensive side of the ball adding two steals.
The Bucks play at home again tomorrow night against the Chicago Bulls.
Wisconsin football’s Chez Mellusi and Alexander Smith to return for 2023 season
With an additional year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wisconsin running back Chez Mellusi and cornerback Alexander Smith announced their intent continue playing for the Badgers in 2023.
Mellusi transferred to Wisconsin from Clemson before the 2021 season. Mellusi won the starting running back job before tearing his ACL midway through the season. It was Mellusi’s time spent sidelined with injury that ultimately lead to the rise of Braelon Allen. Although Mellusi has missed part of the 2022 season due to injury as well, he has been a boon to Wisconsin’s rushing attack when available. He was the leading rusher against Nebraska last Saturday with 98 yards on 21 carries.
Wisconsin’s senior cornerback Smith returning will give the Badgers some help at a position that Wisconsin has struggled to build depth at over the previous two seasons. Before this season, Wisconsin brought in three cornerbacks from the transfer portal (Justin Clark from Toledo, Jay Shaw from UCLA, and Cedrick Dort from Kentucky) who are all set to depart the program after this season concludes. Smith has played in 42 games for the Badgers and Wisconsin’s cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat called him “the leader of my room” during spring practice this year.
Wisconsin basketball travels to the Bahamas to play in the Battle 4 Atlantis - tournament preview
The Badgers are in the Bahamas this week to play in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament for the third time in program history. Wisconsin has advanced to the title game in each of its previous two appearances, winning the tournament in 2014 and finishing runner-up in 2018.
Badgers fans are familiar with these November holiday tournaments as Wisconsin has played in one 15 of the previous 17 seasons. Most recently, the Badgers won the 2021 Maui Jim Maui invitational where Johnny Davis was named tournament MVP.
This year’s Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament features a field of highly-ranked and NCAA tournament-projected teams. Wisconsin will begin its tournament tomorrow by playing the Dayton Flyers. Dayton received votes in the most recent version of the AP Top 25 poll. The Flyers were ranked 21st last week, but fell out of the top 25 after losing to UNLV. Dayton is currently rated 37th overall at KenPom (Wisconsin is 41st) and is the projected favorite to win the Atlantic 10 conference.
Depending on the results of Wednesday’s games, Wisconsin will either spend its Thanksgiving morning or afternoon playing Kansas Jayhawks or NC State Wolfpack. Kansas is the reigning national champions, are ranked third in the AP Top 25, and are 4-0 with a win over #8 Duke. NC State is rated 68th at KenPom, has a 4-0 record, but their wins have all come against teams rated sub-150 at KenPom.
The other half of the tournament bracket includes USC, BYU, Tennessee, and Butler.
The USC Trojans (62nd at KenPom) had a tumultuous start to the season. USC lost its season opener to Florida Gulf Coast by 13 points. FGCU is rated 186th at KenPom overall and fourth in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Although USC has gone 3-0 since then, one of those wins was a two-point victory over a Vermont team rated 131st at KenPom.
BYU of the West Coast Conference is entering this tournament with the hopes of bolstering its resume against power-five conference competition. BYU is rated 57th overall at KenPom and is projected to finish third in the WCC behind Gonzaga and St. Mary’s. BYU comes into the Battle 4 Atlantis with a 3-1 record with a loss to a San Diego State team that is ranked 17th in the AP Top 25. BYU’s best win is a two-point victory over Missouri State - which is rated 102nd at KenPom.
Out of all the teams in the bottom half of this bracket, Tennessee is expected to be the best this season. The Volunteers started the season ranked 11th in the AP Top 25. Following an unexpected loss to Colorado, however, Tennessee fell to 22nd. Tennessee does not have a notable win yet in its other two regular-season contests (wins over Tennessee Tech and FGCU), but they did defeat Gonzaga in an exhibition played in Frisco, TX right before the regular season began (I actually attended this game).
Butler is expected to have the worst season out of the eight teams competing in the Battle 4 Atlantis this week. Butler is currently rated 86th at KenPom and is projected to finish 10th in the Big East. Their record of 3-1 paints a murky picture of what lies ahead this season for the Bulldogs. Butler has three wins over teams rated 275th or worse at KenPom and a loss by only six points at Penn State rated 30th.
Axe Week Extra: Wisconsin’s last-second victory over Minnesota in 2005
From November 6th, 2004 to November 23rd, 2018, the Wisconsin enjoyed the longest consecutive wins streak in the history of its rivalry with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Despite the impressive streak, it was nearly stopped in its tracks before getting a chance to start. On October 15th, 2005, Wisconsin managed a comeback victory in one of the all-time greatest finishes in college football’s most-played rivalry.
Wisconsin began the game with a 7-0 first quarter lead, but Minnesota outplayed the Badgers throughout the middle two quarters taking a 27-17 lead into the fourth quarter. Despite the Gophers outgaining Wisconsin on offense 510 yards (including 411 yards rushing) to 366, Wisconsin completed the comeback by outscoring Minnesota 21-7 in the fourth quarter. The numbers alone, however, do not do the comeback justice.
Minnesota nearly had the game won with just 38 seconds remaining. The Gophers led by a score of 34-31 and prepared to punt the ball away to a Wisconsin team that had already used all their timeouts. Then, pandemonium ensued. The Gophers punter, Justin Kucek, dropped the football, picked it back up, and tried to kick it away. Kucek’s efforts were unsuccessful as Wisconsin’s Jonathan Casillas blocked the punt, sending it into the end zone, where Ben Strickland recovered the football to give the Badgers the lead for the first time in the second half. A successful extra point try made the score 38-34 and Wisconsin defeated Minnesota for the second year in a row before rattling off another twelve-straight victories over the Gophers.
As Barry Alvarez said, “when you think you’ve seen it all, you haven’t seen it all.”
Wisconsin women’s basketball team captain, Halle Douglass, out for season
The Badgers suffered a loss to Illinois State on Sunday, but it was not until yesterday that Wisconsin learned of a much greater loss it suffered during the game. Halle Douglass, one of the Badgers team captains, left the game with a knee injury during the second quarter. Wisconsin’s head coach Marisa Moseley announced yesterday that the injury will end her season.
"My heart hurts for Halle and our team right now as we all process the news of her injury,” Moseley said in a statement. “Halle has been an integral part of our success since our arrival in Madison. I am confident that she will come back stronger and even more impactful upon her return!"
Douglass, a junior, has been the first player off the Badgers bench this season. She averaged 3.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 22.6 minutes per game for Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin women’s basketball team will play next in a nonconference event that begins on Thanksgiving day in the Virgin Islands.
Topping-off the six pack: NCAA announces sites for 2027-2030 men’s Final Four
The NCAA announced the sites for the men’s Final Four for the 2027-2030 NCAA tournament’s today. As part of their selections, one city will host its ninth Final Four and another will host its first.
The Final Fours in 2027 through 2030 were awarded to Detroit, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, and North Texas (Arlington, AT&T Stadium) respectively. Indianapolis will be hosting the Final Four for the ninth time. In 2028, Las Vegas will host the Final Four for the first time ever.
According to CBS Sports, Atlanta, which was supposed to host the Final Four for the NCAA Tournament that was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is the favorite be named the host for the 2031 Final Four. There is currently a hold-up with Atlanta’s bid to host the Final Four; this cycle of host city selections was originally supposed to go through 2031.
On, Wisconsin.