By Adam Roberts – 12/10/2020

In a nice bounce back from a less-than-stellar performance against Marquette, Brad Davison posted 23 points to lead Wisconsin to a 73-62 win over Rhode Island at the Kohl Center yesterday afternoon. Those 23 points included a perfect 12-12 day at the free throw line, along with three rebounds and two steals.

Overall, shooting was a little off for Wisconsin, who ended the day 31.8% from 3 and 38.5% from the field. Defensively, though, the Badgers forced 14 Ram turnovers. Micah Potter added 13 points and seven boards, while La Crosse’s Johnny Davis played 17 minutes and scored six to go with three rebounds and two blocked shots.

4-1 Wisconsin continues the season next Wednesday against a struggling Northern Iowa, who lost last night to #19 Richmond 78-68.

By Adam Roberts – 12/9/2020

While the big news earlier today surrounding the Big Ten and Ohio State football is dominating headlines for obvious reasons, today has also been a busy day in minor league baseball. Today the 30 major league teams announced their list of 120 minor league teams to be chosen to become full-season affiliates in 2021, knowing that 42 teams would lose their Player Development Contracts. The longtime Midwest League charter member Clinton Lumberkings surprisingly lost their PDC today, while the Beloit Snappers reached an agreement with the Miami Marlins.

The Brewers meanwhile are welcoming back an old Triple-A friend. We reported earlier this year that the team was ending its relationship with the San Antonio Missions, and now the Crew have aligned themselves with the Nashville Sounds once again. Nashville had been Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate from 2005-2014, but the Sounds chose to end that relationship and switch to the Oakland A’s as they got set to move into a new downtown ballpark. This decision left a sour taste in the Brewers’ mouths, but a return to Nashville should provide a much better development environment than Colorado Springs/San Antonio.

At the other levels, the Brewers will work once again with the Biloxi Shuckers (AA), Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (High A), and Carolina Mudcats (Low A).

By Adam Roberts – 12/8/2020

It isn’t too often that we get to see record-setting opportunities with Wisconsin basketball. Not for lack of talent, but because those records are often pretty tall orders to overcome. But we could have a chance tomorrow afternoon.

When #13 Wisconsin tips off against Rhode Island, forward Nate Reuvers will begin the contest tied with Ethan Happ at 154 blocked shots; one swat will give him the all-time school record. Through just four games this season, Reuvers already has 10 blocked shots, and while there won’t be any fans to celebrate the feat if he can do so, setting the record on the Kohl Center floor will likely carry more weight than doing so on the road.

Reuvers had his best defensive season against shot attempts during the 18-19 season, where he had 60 blocks. Compare that to Happ, who never had more than 44 in a single season.

Coverage from Madison begins at 2:30pm tomorrow afternoon on ESPN La Crosse 105.5 and streaming in the Coulee Region at espnlacrosse.com!

 By Adam Roberts – 12/7/2020

As high school basketball begins for some this week, we continue to wait and see what will happen to sports at area colleges like UWL, Winona State, WTC, and Viterbo. But at least as far as the last school goes, it looks like some make up dates are on the docket.

The V-Hawk men and women will HOPEFULLY start things off January 2nd at Bellevue, and follow that up with a dual home date January 26th against Waldorf and a January 29th at home against Dakota State.

As for when other schools/sports could return, it sounds like a Minnesota high school sports return could be decided by the end of this week, while UWL is still on hold for the rest of the fall semester.

By Adam Roberts – 12/7/2020

While record setting is nothing new to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, he still says he enjoys getting to create those special moments. And he is now the fastest quarterback to get to 400 career touchdown passes, doing it in his 193rd regular season game, 12 fewer than the Saints’ Drew Brees, who held the previous record. Rodgers finished with 295 yards, three touchdown tosses, and no picks in a 30-16 win over the Eagles that was only as close as it was due to two big plays late for Philly. One was a special teams gaff by Green Bay on a punt where J.K. Scott was once again exposed as being unable to make a downfield tackle (I say this as a big, and rare, J.K. fan), and the other was on a 4th and 18 where backup Jalen Hurts completed a dart to the back corner of the end zone.

Rodgers’ big target was once again Davante Adams, who he connected with 10 times for 121 yards and two scores. And in perfect fashion for the duo, Adams made sure that Rodgers would have his 400th touchdown ball, after the 100th, 200th, and 300th balls have been lost to time.

While the defense was once again iffy in the fourth quarter, up to the 7:52 mark of that frame the Packers were all over Hurts and starter Carson Wentz. They got to the quarterback from start to finish with 7 total sacks to go with a Darnell Savage pick to seal the game. Za’Darius Smith said after the game they were given a go-ahead from defensive coordinator Mike Pettine to go in guns a-blazin’ on the beleaguered Wentz, who’s starting status might be gone after a woeful 79 yard, 57.4 QB rating performance.

Green Bay next faces 5-7 Detroit at Ford Field next Sunday, who themselves may have sunken the Bears’ ship yesterday with a late 34-30 win in Chicago.