'Sconnie Six Pack 12/7
Jim Leonhard is leaving, Braelon Allen is staying, and Bango Buck must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
#BowlSzn
A reminder for all readers to join the ‘Sconnie Six Pack bowl pick’em league! Join, pick who you think will win 43 college football bowl games, and finish first to choose a story to top-off the six pack!
You can join by clicking the link here. The group password is: Six-Pack
What’s Brewing:
Jim Leonhard makes his decision - will not return to Wisconsin in 2023
Wisconsin football transfer portal updates: Braelon Allen is staying, but three other Badgers are leaving
Defensively-stout Milwaukee Bucks host the hot-shooting Sacramento Kings
Wisconsin basketball leans on its defense to defeat #13 Maryland
Key contributors for Wisconsin volleyball named to all-regional team
Topping-off the six pack: Bango Buck should be criminally charged for damage to property
Jim Leonhard makes his decision - will not return to Wisconsin in 2023
In classic fashion for a large announcement, Wisconsin football defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard posted a screenshot from his notes app on Twitter last night announcing his planned departure from the Badgers football program.
Leonhard plans to coach in the Badgers upcoming bowl game, but he will not remain on staff for the upcoming 2023 season. Leonhard has been with Wisconsin since 2016 when he was named the secondary coach. He has served as defensive coordinator since 2017.
Before becoming defensive coordinator and becoming the architect of some of the nation’s best defenses at Wisconsin, Leonhard was a walk-on turned all-American safety for the Badgers. He also played for ten years in the NFL.
Leonhard’s position will likely be filled by Mike Tressel, the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, and Colin Hitschler, the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, from head coach Luke Fickell’s staff at Cincinnati.
Wisconsin football transfer portal updates: Braelon Allen is staying, but three other Badgers are leaving
Three Wisconsin football players announced their intention to transfer yesterday, but the biggest transfer announcement was one that wasn’t. Star running back Braelon Allen announced on social media that he “is a Wisconsin Badger.”
Allen was a consensus all-Big Ten second-team selection this year racking up 1126 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. With 5.4 yards per carry, his production went down a small amount this year after averaging 6.8 yards per carry in 2021. Allen has suffered and played-through various injuries during his time at Wisconsin. He did miss the Badgers’ last game of the regular season against Minnesota this year.
Isaac Guerendo, another Badgers running back, announced that he would transfer from Wisconsin. His departure is not entirely unexpected since Guerendo participated in senior day festivities this season. Guerendo was held back by injuries during his time at Wisconsin, but participated in all 12 games this year. In his last two seasons combined, Guerendo averaged 6.2 yards per carry as a change-of-pace back in his third-string snaps for Allen and RB Chez Mellusi. Guerendo also contributed as a kick returner this season averaging 23.9 yards per return. He was a solid contributor, but with one year of eligibility remaining and stuck in third on the depth chart, Guerendo is likely seeking somewhere to get more playing time.
Cornerback Semar Melvin announced his plans to transfer from Wisconsin yesterday. Melvin has two years of eligibility remaining after entering eight games in each of the previous two seasons for the Badgers. He was a reserve cornerback, but saw the field often. Melvin was due to earn more playing time next season with the departure of CBs Jay Shaw, Cedric Dort Jr., and Justin Clark who have each exhausted their eligibility. His departure means that rising juniors Max Lofy and Amaun Williams will be the two most-senior CBs on the Badgers’ roster (barring any transfer additions) next season.
Tight end Jaylan Franklin was the second Badger who participated in senior day to announce his intention to transfer yesterday. Franklin, who has one year of eligibility remaining, came into Wisconsin as an outside linebacker, but transitioned to tight end before the 2020 season. Unfortunately, the transition that Wisconsin’s coaching staff would help Franklin blossom due to his athleticism never panned out. He played in eleven games each of the past two seasons, but recorded his only two career receptions in 2022 for a total of 40 yards.
Defensively-stout Milwaukee Bucks host the hot-shooting Sacramento Kings
The Milwaukee Bucks (17-6) host the Sacramento Kings (13-9) tonight in a battle of two teams who are elite on opposite sides of the ball. You can watch tonight’s game at 7:00PM CST on Bally Sports Wisconsin.
Both the Kings and Bucks should be near full-strength for this game. Forward Serge Ibaka and guard MarJon Beauchamp for the Bucks are probable for tonight’s game after each spent extended time out of the lineup with non-COVID illness. Kings guard Terence Davis is questionable with a back injury.
The Bucks and Kings matchup features the Bucks’ stout defense against the high-powered Kings’ offense. Sacramento scores the second-most points per game and shoots the fourth-best field goal percentage in the NBA. On the other hand, Milwaukee holds its opponents to the third fewest points per game and the second-lowest field goal shooting percentage in the league.
Offensively, the Kings are led by point guard De’Aaron Fox who scores 23.1 points per game, but I see their second leading scorer as the Kings’ x-factor. Power forward Domantas Sabonis records 16.7 points per game and is Sacramento’s team leader in assists (6.5 APG) and rebounds (11.0 RPG). He grabs the sixth most rebounds per game - right behind Bucks PF Giannis Antetokounmpo who grabs the fifth most rebounds in the NBA. With Kings not rebounding well as a team, they rank 26th in the league, Sabonis must have a big game against the Bucks which grab the second-most rebounds per game.
Badgers fans will be familiar with Sacramento small forward Keegan Murray who played at Iowa last year. Murray averages 11.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and a team-leading 0.6 blocks per game.
Wisconsin basketball leans on its defense to defeat #13 Maryland
Wisconsin (7-2, 1-0 Big Ten) got a win in its Big Ten opener for the 18th time in 20 seasons as it defeated #13 Maryland (8-1, 1-1 Big Ten) by a score of 64-59. Wisconsin next plays at Iowa on Sunday evening.
Wisconsin held a 12 point lead in the first half, but an 11-0 run by Maryland in which the Terrapins made three consecutive three-point shot attempts, cut the lead to one headed into the second half. Down the stretch in the second half, both teams leaned on their defense to stay in the game. Wisconsin shot 42.6% and Maryland shot 38.2% from the floor on the night.
Maryland made only three of its final 18 field goal attempts. Senior guard Jahmir Young, a transfer from Charlotte, was Maryland’s leading scorer with 17 points. Young made a few clutch three-pointers down the stretch on three of five shooting from beyond the arc. Aside from Young, Maryland has three other players who average at least 12.3 points per game; Wisconsin held each of them to 10 points or fewer.
Wisconsin did not make a shot from the field in the final 4:03, but the Badgers only attempted two shots from the field. Both teams were in the double bonus for the final six minutes. In the final 4:03, Maryland committed six fouls and Wisconsin made eight of 12 free throws to end the game. Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard said “we make it harder on ourselves at times than we need to,” as the Badgers made only 17 of their 27 free throws on the night, but we were able to do just enough to close it out.”
After a slow start to the season, Badgers junior forward Steven Crowl was able to put together a solid scoring performance for the second consecutive game. Crowl had 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists in 29 minutes for Wisconsin.
With senior F Tyler Wahl in foul trouble for much of the game, junior F Carter Gilmore played 24 minutes and contributed seven points, a career-high, including a three-pointer with 10:22 remaining that gave Wisconsin the lead that it would not give to Maryland the rest of the way.
Key contributors for Wisconsin volleyball named to all-regional team
The American Volleyball Coaches Association released its regional awards for the 2022 season yesterday and, as is usual for the all-regional team, the awards were littered with recipients from Wisconsin.
Wisconsin plays tomorrow in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament against Penn State - a match you can watch beginning at approximately 5:30PM CST on ESPNU. Ahead of the match, here’s a preview of some of Wisconsin’s key contributors who were named to the AVCA Northeast Regional team.
Junior middle blocker/right side hitter was given Northeast all-regional honors for the third time. She was named to the all-regional team her freshman year and named an honorable mention her sophomore year.
Robinson has made an impact ever since stepping on campus. She has played in every match since her arrival in the program. Robinson is a contributor both offensively and defensively ranking in the top-three on the team in kills, hitting percentage, and blocks.
Sarah Franklin, a redshirt sophomore outside hitter, transferred to Wisconsin this season after two seasons at Michigan State. Franklin was named to the Northeast all-regional team yesterday - her second all-regional honors after being named to the North regional team when at Michigan State last season.
Franklin is an offensive powerhouse. She leads the Badgers in kills with 372 - 100 more than Robinson who ranks second on the team in that category. Her 372 kills in 104 sets ranks tenth in the Big Ten in total kills and seventh in kills per set. Franklin leads the Badgers in points overall and ranks eighth in the Big Ten in points per set.
Grad student middle blocker Danielle Hart was named to the Northeast all-regional team adding to her trophy case this season. Hart was previously given first-team all-Big Ten honors this season along with Robinson and Franklin.
In this year’s NCAA tournament, Hart is looking for her storybook ending. Last season, Hart played in six matches before suffering a torn ACL that ended her season. She had surgery to repair her ACL in October and contributed to the Badgers’ national championship run from the bench providing morale and coaching support for her teammates. This year, Hart is back on the court performing perhaps better than ever seeking to bring Wisconsin a back-to-back national championship.
Hart has been incredible accurate on the attack this season. Her .438 hitting percentage leads Wisconsin and is second overall in the Big Ten (first overall in conference play). Down the stretch of Big Ten play, Hart went four consecutive matches without committing a hitting error.
Hart is a key contributor for the Badgers on defense as well. She leads the team in blocks. Her 149 blocks in 98 sets ranks fourth in the Big Ten in blocks per set.
The fourth and final Badger named to the Northeast all-regional team is sophomore outside hitter Julia Orzol. This is Orzol’s first all-region award. She was named to the all-Big Ten second-team this season.
Orzol was a freshman phenom last season starting in 30 matches en route to being named the Big Ten freshman of the year. A true six rotation player, Orzol is a key contributor both offensively and defensively for the Badgers.
Offensively, Orzol ranks third on the team in points and kills. The attack is not the only way she contributes offensively however. Orzol has also recorded 27 service aces this season - the fourth most on the team.
Defensively, Orzol’s 54 blocks are Wisconsin’s fifth-most, but the block is not her biggest defensive prowess. Very impressively for an outside hitter, Orzol is a key contributor on the dig for the Badgers. Her 244 digs are second-most for the Badgers - trailing only libero Gulce Guctekin.
Finally, a tip of the cap to Wisconsin head coach Kelly Sheffield who was named the Northeast region coach of the year. Sheffield led Wisconsin to a #1 seed and an outright Big Ten championship after losing key contributors from a national championship team. Wisconsin lost its three-time first-team all-American setter, starting libero, and its six-time first-team all-American middle blocker from last year’s roster. Despite that, Sheffield has the Badgers as a top-ranked threat to win the national title once again.
This is Sheffield’s second regional coach of the year award after previously being named the Northeast region coach of the year in 2019.
Topping-off the six pack: Bango Buck should be criminally charged for damage to property
Milwaukee Bucks mascot Bango Buck is a criminal and I’m tired of acting like he isn’t.
Last night, at a family-friendly basketball game in Madison, Wisconsin, Bango Buck committed an act of criminal damage to property in front of 17,000 witnesses. My only question is: why was he not immediately arrested?
With an 8:00PM CST tip, last night’s matchup between Wisconsin and Maryland was going to take long enough before we all got to go to bed. Then, Bango’s criminal debauchery extended Badgers and Terrapins fans (who had to stay up for a 9:00PM EST tip) bedtime even further.
Bango used a trampoline to dunk on the Kohl Center hoop closest to the Wisconsin student section during halftime. As a result, Bango destroyed the rim rendering it useless. The rim simply flopped down - no longer sturdy as a rim on a basketball hoop needs to be.
Wisconsin statute defines damage to property simply: “whoever intentionally causes damage to any physical property of another without the person's consent is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.” Damage to physical property without consent absolutely occured; the only question is Bango’s intent.
I contend that Bango clearly intended to damage the rim at the Kohl Center. His act was part of a performance by the “Rim Rockers” gang. The Rim Rockers criminal organization puts their intentions directly in their name: to rock basketball rims. Look back at the tape, you can clearly see the damaged rim rocking up and down.
The evidence is clear: Bango, the don of the Rim Rockers syndicate, executed a calculated, intentional act of destruction of property and should be charged with a Class A Misdemeanor.
I don’t know much about how much basketball rims cost, but if the cost of Bango’s property damage exceeded $2,500 he is guilty of a Class I Felony under Wisconsin’s criminal code. Bango must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Finally, the property destruction committed by Bango may have compromised the integrity of the game. I find it hard to believe that it is a mere coincidence that Wisconsin went on a 13-0 run in the first half shooting at the uncompromised rim before Marlyand finished the game making a mere three of 18 field goal attempts against the rim that was replaced following the incident in question.
Should Maryland petition the Big Ten to re-play the second-half of last night’s game with untampered, uncompromised, competitively neutral rims? Was Bango’s damage to property just a means to an even more sinister end of conspiracy to rig the Big Ten standings? Many people are asking.
Don’t be a sheep… or a buck.
On, Wisconsin.