Wisconsin Badgers news, 6/30: Sam Dekker, Alec James, Blake Geoffrion, more

Football

Wisconsin defensive end Alec James was named one of the top 20 defensive players on the rise according to Athlon Sports.

Russell Wilson held his annual passing academy in Madison on Saturday morning, and Jake has photo and video highlights of the event. As Wisconsin State Journal's Tom Mulhern writes, there hasn't been any decrease in Wilson's drive to be the best on and off the field, despite winning a Super Bowl this past season.

Jake did the same for the Chris Maragos Skills Camp on Saturday. Plus, he talked with recent offensive lineman commit Sam Madden, who is John Moffitt's cousin, about the contributing factors that led to his commitment and his style of play.

Basketball

No Badgers were drafted in Thursday's NBA Draft, but Bo Ryan's team still made its mark against future NBA rookies. I did a breakdown of how every drafted player fared against UW during the 2013-14 season.

Sam Dekker was a camper at the Kevin Durant Skill Academy, and more than held his own against the opposition (h/t 247sports' Evan Flood).

No surprise but Sam Dekker, Rondae Jefferson and Stanley Johnson have been the most impressive players in these 5-on-5s. #KDSkillsAcademy

— Josh Stirn (@Josh_Stirn) June 29, 2014

Hockey

Three incoming Wisconsin skaters were drafted in the 2014 NHL Draft over the weekend.

The Blake Geoffrion Classic took place on Friday at the LaBahn Arena, resulting in a 15-13 victory for the White team. Even more rewarding was the fact the event raised $40,000 for the UW Hospital Burn Center.

Quick hitters

While the Midwest would like to think otherwise, ESPN.com's Phil Steele had the Big Ten tied for the fourth-best football conference in the nation (Insider).

Despite reports suggesting numerous outcomes, it appears Jason Kidd will be the next head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks if Brooklyn accepts the Bucks' second-round selection as compensation. This was reported by Wisconsin's own Andy Katz.

Jake continued being a busy man this weekend, talking with Falcons tight end Jacob Pederson on this week's edition of the Kielbasa Kings.