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There are a number of athletic departments that boast formidable basketball and football programs, and it's safe to say Wisconsin fits within this group. How good are the combination of Barry Alvarez/Bret Bielema/Gary Andersen's teams and Bo Ryan's? The Badgers check in at No. 5 on College Spun's list.
This article may be a tad outdated, but it still holds entirely true -- Ryan is an unbelievable leader of young men. He's great at the Xs and Os, but he's just as good, if not better, at preparing his players to succeed after their basketball careers are over. BizTimes.com's Kay Plantes has the story of the coach instilling exceptional leadership skills.
Let's hope Bronson Koenig didn't get paid for this: The La Cross Aquinas product threw out the first pitch for the La Crosse Loggers at a Northwoods League on Tuesday.
Big thanks to @BKoenig_24 from the @BadgerMBB for throwing out the first pitch tonight at the Lumberyard! On Wisconsin!
— La Crosse Loggers (@LoggersBaseball) May 28, 2014
ESPN.com's Big Ten blog continues its look at the most indispensable players for each Big Ten team. Brian Bennett tabs safety Michael Caputo and linebacker Derek Landisch as those players who will need to play a big part for Dave Aranda's defense. It's crazy to think Landisch is already a senior, isn't it?
Andersen and his staff have clearly recognized the need to stockpile at the tight end position. They are at it again, extending a scholarship offer to Ohio-area tight end Jake Hausmann. The 6'4 prospect currently holds offers from a number of schools, headlined by Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida State and Penn State.
I knew Corey Clement was fast (he's a Division I running back, for goodness sake), but this type of speed absolutely blew me away. Clement + Melvin Gordon = a lot of fun in 2014.
Former UW skater Rene Bourque recorded a hat trick in the Montreal Canadiens' 7-4 victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday. Instead of tossing their hats onto the ice, fans took it to another level by throwing their caps onto the lawn of Bourque's parents' home. Not to get lost in the shuffle is the two-goal performance by the Rangers' Derek Stepan, another UW product.
Quick Hitters
Several student-athletes (107 to be exact) made their way onto the spring Academic All-Big Ten Team. Most notably, women's golfer Kimberly Dinh and women's track runner Taylor Zimprich recorded cumulative 4.0 GPAs. I don't care what their majors are -- that's good.
How good of a speller are you? You can test your expertise, or lack thereof, courtesy of Sports Illustrated's Extra Mustard. I'm taking to my grave the fact that I tied for third in my fourth grade spelling bee.
As someone who is going into sports law, I cannot stand most of the agents who essentially snoop around college campuses in an attempt to lure college athletes to sign with them before the set-in-stone deadline. SEC commissioner Mike Slive, an alum of Marquette Law School, sheds some light on the rules and guidelines surrounding the agent-player relationship.