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USA Today
12 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin basketball starter appears in ESPN's early 2026 NBA mock draft
Wisconsin basketball starting center Nolan Winter appeared in the second round of ESPN's early 2026 NBA mock draft on Friday. In the outlet's way-too-early look at the 2026 draft, the Minnesota native is projected to be selected at No. 53 overall. Coincidentally, Winter's former Badger teammate John Tonje was handpicked at No. 53 of the 2025 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz on Thursday evening. While he didn't test the NBA waters following the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Winter's development suggests that he could wind up in a professional setting, whether it be in the NBA or overseas. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 21.1 minutes, 9.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest across 37 starts during the 2024-25 slate. The season was his second under Greg Gard, his first as a full-time starter. Those tallies also included a 56.4% shooting rate from the field, a Big Ten-best 71.5% from inside the three-point line and 35.8% from outside. The 2026 NBA draft's top-end talent may rival what the 2025 cycle provided. The upcoming cohort will be headlined by Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU wing A.J. Dybantsa, Duke forward Cameron Boozer, Tennessee wing Nate Ament and Louisville point guard Mikel Brown Jr. While Winter is far from becoming a lottery pick, his draft stock could rise with a strong performance during his junior season. With the departures of Max Klesmit, Seven Crowl and Tonje, Winter will serve as one of UW's top two-way options alongside guard John Blackwell and transfers Andrew Rhode, Austin Rapp and Nick Boyd. With high-profile games scheduled against programs including Villanova, Providence and Marquette, in addition to a gauntlet Big Ten schedule, Winter could attract even more eyeballs with stellar outputs. As of June 27, Winter is sandwiched in between Louisville shooting guard Ryan Conwell and San Diego State sophomore Magoon Gwath at No. 53. Like Tonje, who didn't generate a ton of NBA buzz before the 2024-25 season, Winter could watch his name scale that hierarchy as the season progresses. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
CBS Sports names Ohio State duo as one of the top five in college football for 2025
A college football team is made up of 22 individual starters on both sides of the ball (not counting special teams), and all must play in concert, do their jobs, and work together for unity and success. But some players are superstars while others are more role players, trying to hold up their end of the bargain. When you can get a duo working together on the same side of the ball, it can be even more of a treat to watch as each feeds off of each other and creates issues for opposing defenses. CBS Sports took a look at some of the best tandems in college football and tried to identify the top five heading into the 2025 college football season. Anytime we're talking about the best of the best in college football, there's a good chance Ohio State is a part of that equation, and that's the case as well with what Carter Bahns came up with. It's no secret that the Buckeyes have had an embarrassment of riches at the wide receiver position over the past few years, and that looks to be the case again. In fact, that's exactly where Bahns went as one of the top five tandems in college football, highlighting Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate as a dynamic duo. He sees them as the third best duo in college football this season. "Jeremiah Smith was arguably the best wide receiver in college football as a true freshman. Imagine what he can do with a full year of experience under his belt," Bahns wrote. "The Ohio State superstar enjoyed one of the most prolific freshman seasons the sport has seen in some time with his Big Ten-best 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, which more than delivered on the insane expectations he generated ahead of his Buckeyes debut. The only uncertainty around his 2025 ceiling stems from the quarterback spot, where a new starter will rise to the top of the depth chart, most likely in the form of Julian Sayin. "The Ohio State receiving corps was far from a one-man show in last year's national championship run, though, and it will not be in 2025, either. Carnell Tate was a terrific third option in Year 2 with the program and looks poised to flirt with the 1,000-yard threshold himself as he picks up a greater share of the target load. After all, he managed to accumulate 733 yards in a room that featured high-volume weapons in Smith and Emeka Egbuka." We couldn't agree more. There are ways to take one guy more or less away in a game plan at the receiver position by bracketing and shading coverage that way, but when you have another guy that's also a dangerous option, then he can often get the benefit of added attention. Look for Tate to benefit from all the traffic running Smith's way in 2025 and have a breakout campaign for the world to see. So, who does Bahns have above Smith and Tate? No. 1 is the Penn State running back tandem of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, followed by linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and defensive end Colin Simmons of Texas at No. 2. The other two tandems rounding out the top five are Clemson defensive linemen T.J. Parker and Peter Woods at No. 3, and quarterback Sam Leavitt and receiver Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State at No. 5. We can't wait to see Ohio State unleash Tate alongside the proven commodity Smith brings this fall. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wisconsin women's basketball standout Serah Williams commits to national champion UConn
MADISON – When Wisconsin women's basketball player Serah Williams entered the transfer portal last month, it was assumed that interest would be high for the two-time All-Big Ten performer. On April 30, we found out how high. Advertisement The 6-foot-4 forward announced on X and Instagram her commitment to reigning national champion Connecticut. Williams posted the news with a graphic of her wearing a UConn letterman's jacket. At the bottom of the graphic was the state slogan: 'Welcome to Connecticut, Home of the Basketball Capital of the World.' Her caption was a Bible scripture: 'Genesis 28:15 Yes. I'll stay with you, I'll protect you wherever you go. Go Huskiess' Williams led Wisconsin in scoring and rebounding the past two seasons when she became one of five players in program history to earn first-team all-Big Ten recognition twice. Advertisement The Brooklyn, New York, native set a Big Ten record as a sophomore with double-doubles in scoring and rebounding in 17 straight games. She was also the media's pick for Big Ten defensive player of the year. She averaged 17.4 points, 10.7 rebounds and a Big Ten-best 2.8 blocks per game. This season, she averaged 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. Her 1,494 points rank 11th in program history. More: UW women's basketball transfer portal tracker. The latest: Two 2025 recruits land at other programs This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Badgers basketball star Serah Williams transfers to UConn
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin star transfer forward commits to the reigning national champion
Wisconsin star transfer forward commits to the reigning national champion Wisconsin women's basketball star transfer forward Serah Williams committed to UConn on Wednesday. Williams entered the portal last month after three decorated years with the Badgers. The Brooklyn, New York, native burst onto the scene immediately as a true freshman in 2022-23, starting 30 games and averaging 24.8 minutes, 12.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and a Big Ten-best 1.9 blocks. She then took a significant step forward as a sophomore in 2023-24, averaging 17.4 points, 10.7 rebounds and a Big Ten-best 2.8 blocks per game over 30 appearances. Her play that season earned a First-Team All-Big Ten honor, as well as the 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award. Finally, Williams excelled yet again as a junior in 2024-25, tallying 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks per game. The forward entered the portal on March 12, just three days after head coach Marisa Moseley resigned. She now commits to a UConn program that is the undisputed best in women's college basketball, fresh off a 2025 national title. Since coach Geno Auriemma took over in 1985, the program has claimed 12 national championships, plus hasn't missed the NCAA Tournament since 1988. The now-former Badger will get a chance to contribute on college basketball's biggest stage as a senior in 2025-26. She will do so as Wisconsin undergoes a program rebuild under new coach Robin Pingeton. The Badgers are still in search of their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wisconsin basketball forward officially announces return for 2025-26 season
Wisconsin forward Nolan Winter officially announced his return to the Badgers for the 2025-26 season on Friday. The rising junior shared a simple message via X: "Back for more." Winter returns to lead the Wisconsin frontcourt after a breakout season in 2024-25. He started all 37 of the team's games, averaging 21.1 minutes, 9.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest. He was one of the Badgers' most efficient scoring options from every level, shooting 56.4% from the field, a Big Ten-best 71.5% from inside the three-point line and 35.8% from outside. Advertisement The 6-foot-10 forward originally joined the Badgers as a three-star recruit in the class of 2023, ranked as the No. 151 player in the country and the No. 2 recruit from the state of Minnesota. He played a limited role as a freshman in 2023-24, primarily backing up veteran center Steven Crowl. He saw 9.4 minutes of playing time per game that season, averaging just 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds. Wisconsin loses a large senior class after the 2024-25 season, headlined by starters Max Klesmit, Crowl and John Tonje. Both Winter and star guard John Blackwell's respective returns are critical as Greg Gard reloads the team's rotation entering a pivotal 2025-26 campaign. While Winter was expected back after the season's conclusion, his announcement on Friday ensures that reality. Notably, the Badgers are in a position to retain both of their star players entering 2025-26, a different outcome from when Chucky Hepburn and A.J. Storr left via the transfer portal last offseason. Blackwell recently declared for the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility. If the current draft projections hold, he'll likely return to join Winter in leading the Badgers in 2025-26. He noted in his draft announcement that if he returns to college, it will be to Wisconsin. Advertisement The Badgers recently landed Virginia transfer guard Andrew Rohde, kicking off their offseason transfer activity. While the team still has major needs to address, a leading corps of Winter, Blackwell (likely) and Rohde is a strong starting point, with Xavier Amos and Jack Janicki as key complementary pieces. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball Nolan Winter announces return decision
