Latest news with #JonRothstein
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wisconsin Basketball Beefs Up 2025-26 Non-Conference Schedule
Wisconsin Basketball Beefs Up 2025-26 Non-Conference Schedule originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Unlike college football, where wins are more important than strength of schedule to get into the College Football Playoff (see the 2024 Indiana Hoosiers), college basketball programs depend on scheduling games against quality opponents. Playing the top teams in the country is hugely beneficial in boosting a team's tournament resume. The Wisconsin basketball team is a prime example of this. Advertisement In just the past couple of weeks, the Badgers have announced upcoming games against some high-level non-conference programs. First, CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein reported that the Badgers would face off with BYU, the team that eliminated them from the 2025 NCAA Tournament, in November in Salt Lake City, giving the Badgers a rematch and a chance at some redemption against the Cougars. Next, although it's just an exhibition game that won't count towards the season standings or stats, the Badgers are taking on Oklahoma in Milwaukee at Fiserv Forum in October. You don't normally see an exhibition game against an opponent at this level to start the season. A quality opponent like the Sooners in an exhibition game is another chance for the Badgers to gear up for their 2025 season. Finally, Jon Rothstein is again reporting that the Badgers have scheduled another series, this time against Villanova. The Badgers will host the Wildcats this season at Fiserv Forum in December. Then they will play them again the following season at Wells Fargo Center in the 2026-27 season. Advertisement Villanova hasn't been the powerhouse program it once was since head coach Jay Wright left, but it is looking to turn things around under a new head coach, the Badgers are familiar with: Kevin Willard. Willard was most recently the head coach of Maryland, but left the Terps for Nova after they were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in March. Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball program have been aggressive in beefing up their non-conference schedule heading into the 2025-26 season to pair with the already ultra-competitive Big Ten schedule. There's no question that the Badgers should be battle-tested heading into tournament play at the end of next season. Related: Big Ten Reveals Men's Basketball Matchups for 2025-26 Season Stay in the loop with all things Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball by visiting for more updates. Advertisement Ready to join the community? Follow Athlon Sports on YouTube, Facebook, and X to join in on the conversation. You can also follow Staff Writer Christian Borman at @ChristianBorman on X. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin basketball announces neutral site game against a Big East powerhouse
Wisconsin basketball announces neutral site game against a Big East powerhouse The Wisconsin Badgers are quietly putting together a phenomenal non-conference schedule for the 2025-2026 season. Earlier this week, the program announced a home-and-home series with BYU starting this winter in Salt Lake City, Utah, with a return game in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2026-2027. Today, the Badgers announced yet another neutral-site non-conference game, this one against the Villanova Wildcats at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on December 19th. CBS' Jon Rothstein reports a return matchup at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2026-27. This matchup would be the first time the Badgers have faced the Wildcats since Wisconsin's upset win in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The No. 8-seed Badgers defeated the No. 1-seed and reigning national champion Wildcats on a last-second basket from forward Nigel Hayes. 2025-26 will be Kevin Willard's first season as the head coach of the Wildcats after leaving Big Ten rival Maryland after the 2024-25 season. Willard went 2-3 against Wisconsin while coaching at Maryland, most recently defeating the Badgers 76-68 in College Park this past January. With games against BYU, Marquette, Kansas/Florida/Providence (Rady's Children's Invitational), and now Villanova, Wisconsin's non-conference schedule has become extremely competitive for this upcoming season. It should provide the team a golden opportunity to stack quality wins early in the season. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Spartans slide outside top 20 in latest Jon Rothstein early preseason rankings
Spartans slide outside top 20 in latest Jon Rothstein early preseason rankings Michigan State basketball has slid outside of the top 20 in the latest early preseason rankings from one notable college basketball analyst. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports released an updated batch of preseason rankings for next year on Thursday, which saw the Spartans land just outside the top 20. Rothstein had Michigan State listed at No. 21 in his updated rankings. Among Big Ten teams, Rothstein had Michigan State come in at No. 5. The Spartans were behind the following Big Ten teams: Purdue (No. 1), Michigan (No. 5), UCLA (No. 6) and Oregon (No. 20). Rothstein's rankings -- which goes up to 45 teams -- also included the following teams from the Big Ten behind the Spartans: Illinois (No. 22), Wisconsin (No. 23), Ohio State (No. 26), USC (No. 32), Maryland (No. 34) and Nebraska (No. 40). Based on Rothstein's rankings, it seems clear he has three teams in the top tier of the Big Ten: Purdue, Michigan and UCLA. After that, though, its a big group of teams that could battle it out to join that top tier, including Michigan State. Check out Rothstein's complete rankings by clicking on the post below: Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oklahoma and Gonzaga set to meet in 2025-26 basketball season
Oklahoma Sooners basketball coach Porter Moser must like the look of his 2025-26 team quite a bit. On Wednesday, OU announced it would play Big East power Marquette in a Black Friday game next season. Then, shortly after that announcement, college basketball writer Jon Rothstein reported the Sooners would also play national powerhouse Gonzaga this season in Spokane, Washington. Advertisement According to Rothstein, the game will not be played at Gonzaga's home court but at the McCarthy Athletic Center in Washington's second-biggest city. Therefore, it should still function as a home game for the Bulldogs. The game is the fourth announced nonconference game for the Sooners for 2025-2026. Previously, games were scheduled against Oklahoma State for December 13 in Oklahoma City and former Big Eight conference rival Nebraska in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on November 16. Oklahoma and Gonzaga are not unfamiliar opponents. They first met back in 2007-08 when Blake Griffin scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Sooners' victory. Gonzaga has won each of the three meetings since, including, most recently, in the 2021 NCAA Tournament when Austin Reaves' 27 points were not enough to overcome the Zags in an 87-71 loss. The only time OU has played Gonzaga in Spokane was on New Year's Eve 2010. Gonzaga won, 83-69. This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Gonzaga, Oklahoma to meet on basketball court next season
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Louisville basketball, Cincinnati reportedly finalizing neutral-site series. What to know
Louisville basketball is reportedly adding another longtime rival to its 2025-26 schedule. The Cardinals and Cincinnati are finalizing an agreement to play a two-year, neutral-site series beginning this season, according to a report Friday from Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports on X, formerly Twitter. Advertisement This year's game, per Rothstein, will be played at Heritage Bank Center in downtown Cincinnati. UC called the arena home for more than a decade after it opened in 1975. In 2026-27, the teams will play at Freedom Hall, U of L's old stomping grounds of 54 years. The last time the Cards took the court there before moving to the KFC Yum! Center was March 7, 2010, when they upset top-ranked Syracuse, 78-68. Louisville has played Cincinnati 100 times, more than any opponent in its 111-year history. But they haven't met on the court since the 2022 Maui Invitational — the Bearcats won, 81-62. Before that? You have to go all the way back to 2014, when both teams were members of the American Athletic Conference. Advertisement The Cards hold a 56-44 lead in the all-time series with UC, which dates back to 1921. This year's game will be a homecoming for coach Pat Kelsey, who grew up in Cincinnati and both played and coached at Xavier. Cincinnati is coming off a 19-16 finish in 2024-25, which was coach Wes Miller's fourth season at the helm. Having missed out on the NCAA Tournament, the Bearcats participated in the inaugural College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas. They lost to UCF in the second round. As of Friday, Louisville had confirmed three games on its 2025-26 nonconference schedule: U of L has also reportedly agreed to play cross-state rival Indiana on Dec. 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Advertisement Before Rothstein's report on the Cincinnati series, Louisville athletics director Josh Heird said during a Friday appearance on WLCL 93.9-FM that the Cards won't play St. John's and former coach Rick Pitino at Madison Square Garden this season. Pitino told reporters at the Final Four in April that the schools were in negotiations to make that happen. Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@ and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball schedule 2025-26: UofL, Cincinnati add series
