Lineup:

the Badgers are looking strong at the right time

• Chris Dennis
• Adam “Big A” Maritato
• Brian Peoplis
• Greg “Grego” Boulanger

Topics: (segment duration)

1. Big Ten and Big East basketball conference tournament preview (Beginning – 11:05)
2. Packers Free Agency:  has the Packer’s front office been smart or complacent (11:20 – 23:05)
3. Bucks basketball: Where can the Bucks end up come play-off time (23:20 – 33:40)
4. Convince Me! Brewers:  Do the Brewers have enough to reach the post season? Shout Outs! (34:00 – End)

Lineup:

• Chris Dennis
• Adam “Big A” Maritato
• Brian Peoplis

Topics:

• Milwaukee Bucks Basketball (beginning- 12:52)

• Badger Basketball (13:00 – 16:20)

• Marquette Basketball (16:20 – 21:00)

• Milwaukee Panther Basketball (21:00 – 29:25)

• WST Headlines and Shout Outs! (29:40 – End)

There is absolutely nothing significant to report about Wisconsin’s 78-46 thrashing of Indiana.  The game was close for about the first five minutes, and from there, the Badgers were essentially on cruise control for the remainder of the game.

Actually, I stand corrected.  Seeing an irate Tom Crean get ejected in the 2nd half was pretty awesome.  My how the mighty have fallen, Tom…

All jokes aside, the Badgers are entering a fairly easy stretch of games to close out the Big Ten regular season; at the Kohl Center against Iowa on March 3rd, and then a road finale at Illinois on March 7th.  Iowa should be a breeze, but Illinois is underrated in many aspects and already showed they could beat UW in their own home a few weeks ago.

While I’m not one to cheer for injury (and I’m still not), the Badgers caught a bit of a break yesterday when it was discovered that Purdue forward Robbie Hummel is out for the season with a torn ACL.  The Boilermakers and Badgers went 1-1 against each other this season, with Hummel playing a significant role in each game.

In essence, the road to the Big Ten tournament title game just got a bit easier for the Badgers.  Purdue struggled last season without Hummel, and the weight of the entire season now rests on the shoulders of E’Twaun Moore.

All the Badgers can do now is take care of business and come prepared for the Big Ten tournament.  But who am I kidding?  Would you expect anything less from a Bo Ryan lead team?

Despite the heartbreaking loss to Illinois on Tuesday, the Wisconsin Badgers still have a great chance to take home the Big 10 regular season title and continue to reach their goal of winning the Big 10 tournament.

I was as devastated as any Badger fan when they succumbed to that rare home loss against a surprising Illini team, but I see little use in panicking.  Sometimes a wake-up call like that can actually be a good thing for a team that wasn’t expected to do anything special this season.

Since Jon Leuer went down with a fractured wrist, the Badgers are 5-2 and have displayed the kind of effort that seems to come naturally to Bo Ryan coached teams; continue to work hard and go about your business.  No team handles adversity quite like the Badgers. Since Kalin Lucas went down, Michigan State has struggled to regain its swagger.  Ohio State was a mess without Evan Turner.

Not the Badgers.  Bo Ryan has instilled the confidence in his players to carry on and pick up the slack when a fellow teammate gets hurt. It’s rare to find a coach who can build such confidence in his team, but Ryan has earned his living doing that exact thing for the Badgers since he was hired.

The Badgers will also have the benefit of a fairly easy schedule to close out the season. Tomorrow they square off against an Indiana team that is still deep in the process of rebuilding.  After that, UW won’t face a ranked opponent unless Illinois earns a spot in the top 25 before March 6th (UW’s final regular season game at Illinois).

It’s going to be a close race to crown the regular season champion, but if the Badgers can continue their consistent play and rebound from a rare hiccup at home, I think they’ll bring home the bacon.

Just imagine how strong this team will be going into March Madness if Jon Leuer comes back to full strength.  Don’t look now, but the Badgers have the fortitude and attitude to make a strong run at the Final Four this year.

Vibrant and unique are two words that come to mind when describing the atmosphere at the 2010 Camp Randall Outdoor Hockey Classic. The outdoor game was held for the first time ever at Camp Randall Staduim, where around 55,000 fans watched the third-ranked Badgers skate away with a 3-2 win over Michigan .

A classic mixture of both football and hockey chants swarmed the stadium making the frosty, 20 degree air seem harmless. Both Wisconsin and Michigan were playing very fast paced, up-tempo hockey. This was partly due to a high energy crowd, but also because of the cooler and thus, faster ice surface they were playing on.

Ranked third in the country, Wisconsin has been playing very solid hockey. A powerful fore check, coupled with a deep bench, have helped the Badgers earn top 5 credit. However, what won it for them on Saturday night was captializing on power play opportunities. Brendan Smith was able to net two power play goals in the final 6 minutes, not only giving Wisconsin the win, but also igniting a massive celebration in Madison.

With the largest crowd ever to attend a Wisconsin Badger hockey game and the second largest crowd ever to attend a colligate hockey game, The Hockey Classic was truly an amazing event for both players and fans alike. Hopefully Badger fans will see the University host another Hockey Classic at Camp Randall, until then keep an eye out for the Badgers in the post season.

The Camp Randall Outdoor Hockey Classic, proved to be great for the city, the school, but most importantly… the game of hockey.

Lineup:

• Chris “Denman” Dennis
• Derek “City of” Watson
• Grego “the Cop” Boulanger

The WST crew breaks down the Packers playoff matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.  They also talk about Menomonee Falls Sophomore J.P. Tokoto, Milwaukee Bucks basketball, Badgers football and much more!  The Crew finishes with their NFL Wild Card round predictions.

In a return to a place where they were lambasted one year ago by another Florida school, the Wisconsin Badgers will play the Miami Hurricanes in the Champs Sports Bowl.

While both teams have had resurgent seasons, they get it done in different ways. Wisconsin wants to run the ball and use play action to get the ball to their tight-ends and young, developing wide receivers whereas the Hurricanes prefer to let their speed do the work and get athletes in space – depending on their quarterback to deliver the football accurately. Let’s take a look at the match-up:

WHEN WISCONSIN HAS THE BALL…

John Clay will be the focus of the Badgers offense

Wisconsin will try and pound the ball using the best running back in the Big 10 this season, John Clay-who has run for 16 touchdowns-to run right at another fast Miami defense. Running right at the Hurricanes will neutralize their speed advantage somewhat and focus on making linebackers take on bigger blockers while trying the tackle Clay and backup Montee Ball.

Badger quarterback Scott Tolzien has proven himself to be an accurate passer capable of using the play action game to hit emerging sophomore wide receiver Nick Toon-who caught 52 balls for over 700 yards-and tight ends Garrett Graham and Lance Kendricks downfield. He lacks arm strength but can be effective if used correctly. The Canes have been inconsistent at times stopping both the pass and the run this year. Miami corners have struggled limiting the big play and with the Badgers weapons at all three skilled positions, they seem likely to approach their points per game average of 32, although Wisconsin has struggled against the two top defenses they have seemed this year (Iowa and Ohio State), scoring just 26 points in those two games. They will need to run the ball effectively to win this game.

WHEN MIAMI HAS THE BALL…

Jacory Harris is a dangerous weapon for the 'Canes both on the ground and in the air

The Canes quarterback Jacory Harris is their main weapon, showing a solid arm with good touch and athletic ability. Harris has proven to be accurate when given time but, like most quarterbacks, will rush throws and make poor decisions under duress. Even though they have a quality stable of running backs including Javarris James and Graig Cooper, the Miami offensive line has been inconsistent and has kept the talented backfield from being even more productive.

Wide receiver Leonard Hankerson has given Harris a threat to stretch the field with and has been what Nick Toon has meant to Scott Tolzien. The secondary is where the Badgers are the weakest and the Canes receiving core could have a big impact. Miami will try to isolate their athletes in space and on the edge, allowing them to go one-on-one in the open field, which is what they do best. Wisconsin’s defensive line is underrated with J.J. Watt and O’Brien Schofield having the ability to play at the next level. Whether or not the Miami offensive line can succeed against the Wisconsin front seven will be a key factor in determining the outcome of the game.

Positional Advantages:

UW     Pos     Miami
QB             √
√           RB
WR           √
√            OL
√            DL
LB            √
DB            √
SPECIAL       √

PREDICTION…Wisconsin 28, Miami 27
This seems like a classic speed vs. strength showdown but Wisconsin has playmakers on both sides of the ball that will help some against the big speed advantage for Miami. The keys to the game will be how the Wisconsin secondary can defend against the Miami passing attack and how well the Badgers will use the run and play action game. It should be a fairly close game, with Wisconsin’s d-line forcing Harris into a few turnovers to pull off the mild upset.