'Sconnie Six Pack 11/24
Start Thanksgiving with a six pack and with Wisconsin basketball at 10 AM!
Wisconsin struggles offensively, but wins over Dayton to advance to Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals today at 10 AM
The Wisconsin Badgers (4-0) escaped a low-scoring affair in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis yesterday defeating the Dayton Flyers (3-2) by a score of 43-42. Wisconsin advanced to the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis and will play again today against the Kansas Jayhawks at 10:00AM CST. You can watch the game on ESPN.
Wisconsin only shot 23.7% from the field, but held Dayton to 30.2% shooting in a game that lacked offense from both teams. Each team shot 27 three-pointers with the Badgers making six and the Flyers making four. Connor Essegian was the only Wisconsin player to score in double digits with 13 points in 20 minutes. Wisconsin’s Tyler Wahl struggled offensively as he racked up four offensive fouls on the day. Tyler Wahl and Chucky Hepburn have combined to make six of their 43 attempted shots in Wisconsin’s last two games.
The game came down to a baseline inbounds play executed by Dayton with just 8.5 seconds remaining. The Flyers inbounded the ball to guard Kobe Davis, who led all scorers with 16 points, who took a shot from the right wing. Wisconsin’s Max Klesmit played perfect defense against Davis, blocking his shot, forcing Dayton to commit a shot clock violation and securing the victory for the Badgers.
Wisconsin plays the Kansas Jayhawks (5-0) today in the tournament semifinals. Kansas, ranked third in the AP Top 25, advanced to the semifinals with an 80-74 victory over NC State. Kansas is led by forward Jalen Wilson, the team’s leading scorer who was a fringe NBA draft prospect after last season who decided to return after helping the Jayhawks win a national championship. Kansas’ most exciting player is freshman guard Gradey Dick. He is second on the team in points and he led Kansas in scoring against NC state with 25 points including six made three-pointers in the first half.
Milwaukee Bucks lose at home to the Chicago Bulls; Demar DeRozan scores 36 points
The Milwaukee Bucks (12-5) lost to the Chicago Bulls (8-10) last night by a score of 118-113. Despite Milwaukee’s impressive shooting performance, the Bucks could not get stops on the defensive end when they needed them most.
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 36 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists to lead the Bucks last night. As a team, the Bucks shot 45.6% from the field and made an impressive 12 of 38 (76%) three-point shots. Milwaukee even overcame its recent struggles at the free throw line making 19 of 25 attempts - including six of nine successful tries from Giannis. Pat Connaughton is still slowly making his way back into the Bucks lineup; he recorded three points, three rebounds, an assist, and a steal in 14 minutes off the bench.
Although Milwaukee has one of the NBA’s best team defenses, the Bucks struggled to stop the Bulls offense. Demar DeRozan led the Bulls offense with 36 points of his own. Apart from DeRozan, the Bulls shot exceptionally well with a combined 49.4% shooting from the field and made 18 of 42 three-point attempts. The flurry of three-point shots was uncharacteristic for Chicago as it came into last night’s game with the fewest threes attempted per game in the NBA. Chicago’s 42 attempted three-pointers were 13 more than the Bulls’ average. The Bucks’ inability to limit the damage from beyond the arc was the difference last night.
Milwaukee next plays tomorrow night at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Green Bay Packers’ lengthy injury report ahead of Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles
The injury reports submitted yesterday by the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles looked very different. Green Bay listed 16 players on the report and Philadelphia listed only one. Green Bay’s report listed one surprise: a newly disclosed injury to Aaron Jones.
Running back Aaron Jones is listed with a shin/glute injury that limited him from practice on Wednesday. Jones had been listed with a lower-leg injury since the Packers’ week nine loss to the Detroit Lions.
Linebacker Quay Walker left Green Bay’s last game against the Tennessee Titans with a shoulder injury. Walker is listed on the injury report with the shoulder injury, but he was a full participant in practice yesterday. That is good news for the Packers as Walker is one of three linebackers on the injury report. De’Vondre Campbell is still not practicing with a knee injury and Krys Barnes was a limited practice participant yesterday with a hand injury.
Milwaukee Brewers sign outfielder Blake Perkins
After trading away one of their best offensive players this week in Hunter Renfroe, the Milwaukee Brewers must find some players to replace that production. Milwaukee may be hoping that OF Blake Perkins, who the Brewers signed to a one-year contract yesterday, can do just that.
Blake Perkins was most recently a member of the New York Yankees prospect pipeline. In 2022, he logged 71 games in AA ball and 30 games in AAA. Combined, he hit the ball well with a .357 on base percentage and .813 OPS (on base plus slugging).
Perkins is the latest in Milwaukee’s growing collection of outfield prospects. According to MLB.com, Milwaukee’s five best non-pitching prospects are all outfielders. Add Perkins to that mix, and there seems to be an excess of talent at the outfield position in the Brewers organization right now. Perhaps one of these prospects gets moved yet this offseason, or the Brewers are giving Craig Counsell a number of options in the outfield to find what works best at the major league level.
Wisconsin basketball to play in 2023 Fort Meyers Tip-Off
Wisconsin will continue its tradition of playing non-conference holiday tournaments in 2023. The Badgers will play their 17th such tournament in 19 seasons in the 2023 Fort Meyers Tip-Off.
The four team field also features the SMU Mustangs, the Virginia Cavaliers, and the West Virginia Mountaineers. Wisconsin has played both West Virginia and Virginia for non-conference tournament championships in recent years. In 2013, the Badgers defeated the Mountaineers by a score of 70-63 in the final round of the Cancun Challenge. In 2014, the Badgers lost to the Cavaliers by a score of 53-46 in the final round of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
The Marquette Golden Eagles played in the 2022 Fort Meyers Tip-Off finishing in third place. Marquette fell in the first round to Mississippi State, but defeated Georgia Tech.
Topping-off the six pack & Axe Week Extra: You’ll never guess who has the longest Big Ten championship drought
You’ll never guess which of the 14 Big Ten teams has gone the longest without winning a conference championship in football. Go ahead. Guess.
Did you guess Minnesota? Because of course it’s Minnesota (okay and technically Indiana too).
Minnesota last won a conference championship in 1967 - a title it shared with Indiana. That’s right, Illinois, Purdue, and even Northwestern have each won a conference championship more recently than Minnesota. In fact, each of those teams have won a conference title this millennium! Minnesota and Indiana are the only teams in the Big Ten to not win a conference title since the turn of the millennium.
The last year Minnesota won a conference championship, the top grossing movies of the year were The Graduate and the original version of The Jungle Book. With the Big Mac’s debut on April 22, 1967, McDonald’s signature sandwich is only 217 days older than Minnesota’s conference title drought. God help you if you’re a Toronto Maple Leafs and Minnesota Golden Gophers fan, because 1967 is also the last year the Leafs won the Stanley Cup.
Not sure why the Leafs are in a Wisconsin sports newsletter catching strays, but here we are.
Minnesota’s last outright conference championship was in 1941, but that’s only the second longest drought. Purdue has Minnesota beat there - the Boilermakers haven’t won an outright conference title since 1929.
Gophers, if you want to feel better, Nebraska, Maryland, and Rutgers haven’t won a Big Ten title since 1967 either.
On, Wisconsin.