Latest news with #Pingeton
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin women's basketball receives commitment from top-ranked class of 2026 forward
Jeremiah 29:11 #committed @BadgerWBB Wisconsin women's basketball made arguably its most notable splash of the offseason on Sunday. With first-year head coach Robin Pingeton at the helm, Wisconsin received a commitment from four-star class of 2026 forward Adaline Sheplee. According to UW, the Rice Lake, Wisconsin, native is the highest-rated recruit to commit to the Badgers since Latonya Sims in 1997. 247Sports ranks Speplee as the No. 51 overall prospect, No. 16 power forward and No. 2 player from Wisconsin for the class of 2026. On3/Rivals, meanwhile, lists her as the No. 6 power forward, while ESPN's NEXT 100 considers Sheplee the No. 32 overall player in the class. With one more year of varsity basketball remaining at Rice Lake High School, Sheplee boasts an extensive offer sheet. In addition to UW, she holds offers from Michigan, TCU, Utah, Illinois, Clemson, Louisville, Maryland, Miami (FL), Kansas, Florida, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Iowa State. In 27 contests for Rice Lake last season, Sheplee averaged a whopping 24.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 3.2 steals and 1.4 blocks in 33.2 minutes per appearance. On Dec. 6, she flashed her brilliance with a season-high 43 points on 16-of-25 from the field in a win over New Richmond. While she won't suit up for UW until next fall, Sheplee's addition to the Badgers' program is nothing short of substantial. The in-state talent possesses the skill to impact a game on both sides of the court, something former program great Serah Williams perfected during her tenure in Madison. Here's what Brandon Clay, 247Sports' director of scouting for women's basketball, wrote about Sheplee in her recruiting profile: "Sheplee is a versatile option in the front court, also starring on the volleyball runs well in transition and has a nice shooting touch from the midrange. Sheplee can continue to mature physically. Her production will keep increasing as a result of added strength, especially in the paint. All the natural attributes and tools for success are there." Pingeton, who took over for former head coach Marisa Moseley this spring, has already reshaped Wisconsin's roster ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. UW signed Croatian center Dorja Zaja and added Illinois forward Shay Bollin, Stony Brook guard Breauna Ware, Howard guard Destiny Howell, NC State guard Laci Steele, Southern Illinois forward Gift Uchenna and Missouri State guard Kyrah Daniels via the transfer portal this offseason. Pingeton's sights, however, have extended far beyond. As of Aug. 10, Sheplee appears to be a key part of the future of the program. 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
25-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin women's basketball signs international center
Wisconsin women's basketball signs international center Wisconsin women's basketball landed a commitment from Croatian center Dorja Zaja on Friday. At 6-foot-3, Zaja joins the Badgers after suiting up for Croatia in FIBA's 2024 U20 Women's EuroBasket action. She played in six contests during the 2024 slate and averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per appearance. She also denied 15 shot attempts and snared 32 defensive boards as an anchor in the paint. In addition to her FIBA action, Zaja laced up for Tresnjevka in the Croatia-Premijer League. In 25 regular-season games, the future Badger accounted for 9.4 tallies in just under 21 minutes per contest. Zaja is currently playing in the postseason for Tresnjevka before traveling to Madison. Zaja is Wisconsin's seventh commitment under new head coach Robin Pingeton this offseason, following Illinois forward Shay Bollin, Stony Brook guard Breauna Ware, Howard guard Destiny Howell, NC State guard Laci Steele, Southern Illinois forward Gift Uchenna and Missouri State guard Kyrah Daniels, all of whom were transfer portal additions. While the Badgers' portal activity is encouraging for fans, the team needed to address the center position following the departure of standout forwards Serah Williams and Carter McCray following the season. Uchenna, Bollin and Zaja now figure to pick up those front-court minutes during the 2025-26 slate. Pingeton, who was hired following the resignation of coach Marisa Moseley this spring, has now finalized her roster for the 2025-26 season. The program experienced significant turnover after nearly every member of its 2024-25 roster departed via the transfer portal or graduation. Without Williams, arguably the greatest player to ever play for Wisconsin's program, the Badgers will ignite a new era of hoops under Pingeton. UW will look to improve on a 13-17 output last season, which also included a 4-14 record in Big Ten action. 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
17-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin women's basketball lands former MEAC Player of the Year in transfer portal
Wisconsin women's basketball lands former MEAC Player of the Year in transfer portal Wisconsin women's basketball landed a commitment from Howard transfer guard Destiny Howell on Wednesday. Howell becomes the third transfer addition for the Badgers this offseason, joining forward NC State guard Laci Steele and former Southern Illinois forward Gift Uchenna. After missing the entire 2023-24 season with an ACL injury, Howell averaged 14.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 30.2 minutes per game for the Bison in 2024-25. Those outputs came with shooting rates of 35% from the field and 34% from 3, plus earned her a spot on the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's First Team for the second time in her career. The Queens, New York, native first broke out as a sophomore in 2022-23, averaging 12.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 steals. That preceded a career-best junior season, which included a conference-best 16.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and one steal per game, plus a conference-leading 40% shooting from the field and 35.6% from 3. Those outputs earned Howell the 2023 MEAC Player of the Year award. If not for her injury, Howell may have further increased her scoring average during her senior season. Still, she transfers to Wisconsin with a clear offensive skill set and the ability to score at multiple levels. Howell will likely fill the void left by former Wisconsin starting point guard Ronnie Porter, who elected to enter the transfer portal in March along with superstar Serah Williams and starting center Carter McCray. Porter averaged 8.6 points and 5.1 assists per game during the 2024-25 season, something Howell could certainly replicate given her dexterity with the basketball. With Howell's addition, UW now rosters a total of nine players. Newly hired head coach Robin Pingeton inherited a roster of only six players after top-down turnover followed the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. The Badgers new head coach is now transforming the program's foundation in real time. Wisconsin went 13-17 in 2024-25, struggling mightily against Big Ten opponents. UW's culture and reputation were in disarray. Early in the transfer cycle, Pingeton appears to be steering the ship back in the right direction. The work is far from over, however. With all of Wisconsin's recent departures, Pingeton will need to land several more players in the portal before expectations can be set for the upcoming campaign. 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
16-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin women's basketball adds standout transfer forward, second addition of offseason
Wisconsin women's basketball adds standout transfer forward, second addition of offseason Wisconsin women's basketball made its second splash of the 2025 offseason on Tuesday. Roughly one week after Wisconsin added its first transfer addition in former NC State guard Laci Steele, the team has bolstered its frontcourt with a much-needed addition. Recently hired head coach Robin Pingeton landed a commitment from former Southern Illinois forward Gift Uchenna, the first signature splash of her tenure in Madison. While Steele boasts an impressive high school resume -- 2023 Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year and Edmond-North High School's all-time scoring record -- she averaged just 1.7 points and 0.9 rebounds in limited minutes as a sophomore at NC State. Uchenna, meanwhile, dominated at Southern Illinois in her first season of collegiate action. The Ebonyi State, Nigeria, native averaged 14.5 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 28.7 minutes per game. Her 12.8 rebounds were the second-most by any player in NCAA Division I, trailing only LSU star forward Aneesah Morrow. Uchenna's rebounding talent is undeniable. She snared at least 15 boards in nine games last season, including a 21-rebound performance against Valparaiso on Dec. 29. She also collected 21 double-doubles during her tenure with the Salukis, highlighted by a 34-point, 17-rebound performance against IU Indianapolis in mid-November. While Wisconsin will have a tough time replacing star forward Serah Williams, Uchenna could partially fill the void created by her departure. Wisconsin now rosters eight players as of April 15. Four of those eight were true freshmen a season ago and saw limited playing time in the rotation. While Pingeton's task in transforming Wisconsin's program will take time, her first frontcourt transfer addition was key with both Williams and standout center Carter McCray gone to the portal. The Badgers went 13-17 a season ago, a regression from their 15-17 output and WNIT appearance during the 2023-24 season. The team also went 4-14 in Big Ten play, barely securing a bid to the 2025 Big Ten Tournament. Pingeton's pedigree at Missouri immediately provides UW with an experienced presence on the sidelines. However, the Badgers' new staff has considerable work left as the program faces a top-down rebuild. Uchenna's addition is a strong starting point. Her ability to translate her level of play to a challenging Big Ten Conference remains to be seen, but the potential is clear. 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
04-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What stood out from Wisconsin women's basketball coach Robin Pingeton introductory presser
What stood out from Wisconsin women's basketball coach Robin Pingeton introductory presser Wisconsin women's basketball officially introduced the eighth head coach in program history on Tuesday. Two weeks after former head coach Marisa Moseley's departure, Chris McIntosh and the Wisconsin brass hired Robin Pingeton to fill the void on the sidelines. The veteran coach arrives in Madison with decades of experience in the Midwest Collegiate Conference, Missouri Valley Conference, Big 12 Conference and Southeastern Conference. Most recently, Pingeton spent the last 15 seasons with the Missouri Tigers. During her tenure, she posted a 250-218 overall mark with 10 postseason appearances, including four consecutive bids to the NCAA Tournament from 2015-19. Prior to that time, the Iowa native showcased her program-building ability at Illinois State. She morphed the Redbirds' sub-.500 team in 2004-05 into a 28-8 squad by the time she departed after the 2009-10 season. The upside in transforming a struggling program into a perennial postseason performer certainly influenced her hiring. The Badgers needed a boost in morale after finishing 2024-25 with a 13-17 overall record and 4-14 mark in conference play. Outside of Serah Williams, arguably the greatest player in Wisconsin's program history, UW lacked any type of offensive consistency. Pingeton, who boasts a winning history in a hyper-competitive SEC, addressed that in her opening presser on Tuesday. "We want to play up-tempo for sure," Pingeton said. "We want to play early in the shot clock. We want to play in transition. Offensively, we really like positionless basketball where you're really teaching the game and not putting players in a box. You've got to have great footwork, great decision-making. That's a learned skill for a lot of college we want to be really disruptive. We kind of just want to be a pain. We want to keep other teams on their toes, we want to switch up our defense [and] we will also be scouring going to find a team that's going to play really hard." Pingeton also addressed the most pressing matter for those invested in the 2025-26 team -- the transfer portal. As of April 3, the Badgers roster six total players and just one senior - reserve guard Lily Krahn. Wisconsin's entire starting five from the 2024-25 season departed via graduation or the portal. It is now Pingeton's responsibility to rebuild a rotation from scratch. "We're really operating now in a pro-style with the revenue share and the portal" Pingeton said. "Being able to bring in players that have really good game experience, that are more mature, that have played at a high level, it's an opportunity to be really selective. Who fits your style? Who has an uncommon work ethic?... In our portal calls right now, I'm trying to be transparent to a fault... I don't think you settle. I think there [are] non-negotiables. I have a vision, and I'm excited to put Wisconsin women's basketball back on the map." With roughly three weeks remaining until the transfer portal closes, Pingeton is faced with an uphill battle. But, while the program lacks an identity or consistent culture, Wisconsin's cache and history as a member of the Big Ten is inarguably appealing for those looking to become a No. 1 option. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
