It's almost the end of July, and Wisconsin Badgers news is slow, but there are still things happening. College sports reporting is basically a non-stop endeavor, and with Big Ten Media Days around the corner and then football coming next month, things will speed up fast. There are a few things that you may have missed; let's start with Badgers in the NBA.
Wisconsin Badgers in the NBA: John Tonje signs with Portland
Wisconsin doesn't have a lot of NBA representation, but somehow two players ended up on the same team. Micah Potter signed with the Portland Trail Blazers a couple of weeks ago after the Indiana Pacers released him. After Summer League, where Tonje showed that he's an elite shooter and can play in the NBA, he also found a two-way contract with the Blazers.
Steven Crowl's Summer League contract is up, and there's been no news there. His chances of finding an NBA deal are low after not doing much in Vegas. He could find an NBA training camp invite, but it may be the end of the NBA road (for now) for Crowl.
Nick Boyd is on an Exhibit-10 deal with the Golden State Warriors, which means there may be no news from Boyd until after training camp. The Warriors don't have to do anything with his contract now; he could simply go to training camp, slide to their G-League, and that's that. The Warriors could also release him, so stay tuned to how that plays out.
Braeden Carrington: Final Badgers roster spot update
If you missed the news that Carrington is pursuing another year of eligibility, you can read that here. However, it does not seem promising, especially as the NCAA doubled down on its stance and policy. Yet the lawsuit is pending, and both Greg Gard and Wisconsin basketball general manager Marc VandeWettering said that the team is monitoring the situation.
The timeline may not work out for Carrington; Gard is actively working to add a 15th player, and the Badgers can't wait for NCAA lawsuits. Gard has assistants recruiting Europe and working to add a final big man.
Luke Fickell speaks on ESPN Madison ahead of Big Ten Media Days
It's been quiet around Wisconsin football; however, Luke Fickell jumped on ESPN Madison the other day and spoke about the team. There are some speaking points he seems to be emphasizing this year. One notable one is about how the players who stuck through last season and into this year are leading the charge. There's resiliency and expectation for 2026. This may be why he chose Sebastian Cheeks, Chris Brooks Jr., and Matt Jung to be the Big Ten Media Days player representatives this season. All have that chip on their shoulder, something to prove, and are going to do it with Wisconsin energy.
Fickell also talked about Colton Joseph coming into the season having an offensive line he can lean on. It seems as if Fickell finally and fully gets Wisconsin football. He's also spoken about how mean and nasty he wants his guys in the trenches to be this year. Another theme that keeps coming out of his mouth.
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