Hughes Invited to Houston

The NBA Draft for the scond consecutive year went two rounds without hearing the name of one Wisconsin Badger, but just like Marcus Landry from last year that doesn't mean former Badgers like Trevon Hughes won't have a shot.

Hughes has been invited to the Houston Rocket's mini-camp. Once there Hughes will have the opportunity to play himself onto the teams summer league squad. That will be the next step for Hughes to have a chance at making the roster for opening night.

While there are some in the basketball community that say Hughes could play in the association. There are still many that say he needs work to be at NBA level. Hughes lacks the size that many want out of a shooting guard, and at times lacks the decision making skills that a point guard is requied to have.

Over the past four years at Wisconsin Trevon Hughes has dazzled and led the Badgers to victory. On other occasions Hughes left many Badger fans with the "what was he thinking?" look. But one thing remains certain in professional sports...if you have talent they will give you a shot.

Hughes obviously has the athletic talent to play at any level, but the decision making is ultimately his demise. As a point guard Hughes will be expected to make "smart" plays, and avoid errors in judgement.

One thing is for sure when it comes to Trevon Hughes. He can take over a game when it means the most (just watch tape of the game at Northwestern) and he is a team leader. Whether or not that will transfer over to the NBA remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure...he's got a shot.

Camping with the Pacers

Former Wisconsin forward Marcus Landry is suiting up in his third NBA uniform but this time at a rookie camp for the Indiana Pacers.

Landry, who left Wisconsin back in 2009, has spent time with both the New York Knicks, and the Boston Celtics over the 2009-2010 season. Landry signed with the Knicks as an undrafted free agent before last season. In a package deal for Nate Robinson, Landry was sent tot he Celtics.

Following the trade Landry was sent to Boston's NBA D-League team in Maine, and was breifly called up by the team. He was later waived by the Celtics and has been a free agent ever since.

But Landry may be finding a new home in Indianapolis after signing with the Pacers. Landry joins 14 other players on the teams roster for the rookie camp that will start on Thursday in Indianapolis. If Landry is able to remain with the team it will be his third different uniform in less than 20 games as an NBA player.

Video of the Week: Thank you doc...I mean god?

Usually when a player wins a championship they say things like "I'd like to thank god," or "I'd like to thank my family." Who knows they also could thank their teammates as well. But for the first time ever a player thanks their shrink.



That player is of course Ron Artest. Lord knows at times the man has needed a shrink.



For this week's Video of the Week I give you: Thanks Doc!

What's in a Name? Big Ten Looking for a Change...

The Big Ten may not be the "Big Ten" for much longer after the addition of Nebraska to the conference as the Big Ten is looking to make a change...a name change.

With expansion continuing for the conference, and a new twelth member the Big Ten is obviously no longer the "Big Ten." But the conference has not been the Big Ten since 1990. The addition of Penn State in 1990 ended the reign of ten in the conference and moved the conference to eleven teams.

But with the now twelve team Big Ten and the ten team Big XI...does that the conferenc may be taking more than just Nebraska from the Big XII. Is the Big Ten going to take their name too?

It would only make sense but is it a boor business move?

Many businesses fight to protect their brand. So why would the conference look to destroy its brand? The Big Ten will always be known as the power conference of the great lakes. The Big Ten Network is already a brand worth millions to the conference.

Admittedly the names of the Big Ten and the Big XII do not make much sense. But is it bad business for the conference to contimplate a name change. I mean would you still get burgers from White Castle if they changed their name to "White Building With A Drive Thru?"

The one thing that will change is the logo of the Big Ten. After adding Penn State in 1990 the conference convienently changed the logo so their would be a numeral eleven in the logo, and according to some reports that is already in the works.

The Chonicle of Higher Education is reporting that the artist that designed the current logo back in 1990 is ramped up and ready to go again. Al Grivetti who in 1990 was a grad student at Northern Illinois University was given the opportunity to design the new logo for the Big Ten Conference, and the opportunity may be there again.

From Badger to Buck?

Earlier in the off-season Trevon Hughes worked out for the Milwaukee Bucks, but he is no longer alone after fellow former Badger guard Jason Bohannon worked out with the team today.

Bohannon was part of a six member workout with the Bucks as part of the team's pre-draft preparations. The workout according to Bohannon on the Bucks webiste was "everything I anticipated," said the former Badger shooting guard.

In Bohannon's career at Wisconsin he ranked in the top 5 in: games played, free percentage, and 3-pointers. But Bohannon was not alone at the workout.

Also participating in the workout were familiar foes of Bohannon. Michigan's DeShawn Sims and UW-Green Bay's Troy Cotton. Rounding out the tryout were Willie Green (Oklahoma guard), Mikhail Torrence (Alabama guard), and Latavious Williams from the NBA Developmental League.

The NBA Draft is June 24 and can bee seen on ESPN.

Izzo Staying a Spartan

After a week long courting process by the Cavaliers, Tom Izzo has decided to stay at Michigan State.

The Michigan State head basketball coach, Izzo, was reportedly offered a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers worth up to six million dollars a year. Last week Izzo spent a good deal of time in Cleveland with the Cavaliers, and spent time with his players in Lansing while considering the offer.

Opposed to the wishes of Wisconsin fans, Izzo will again be sitting on the sidelines at the Kohl Center and not the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

There is no word to whether or not this decision has any ties to the status of LeBron James, but the Cavaliers are staying that the star has not been involved with the search for a new coach. There were on the other hand reports that Izzo wished to speak with James regarding his status with the Cavaliers for next season.

But one thing is for sure...we'll see you next year Izzo.

Texas Hold Em': Longhorns Stay With Big XII

After all the rumors the Longhorns are sticking around in the Big XII and so is everybody else.

Following the announcement by the the Longhorns that they would be staying in the Big XII the other possible departures have decided to stay as well. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M are all staying with the Big XII following Texas' new allegiance to the conference.

For over a week there were rumors that if Texas went the rest would follow. After Nebraska's departure from the conference many believed that the landslide that is conference expansion was just around the corner. Colorado followed right behind the Cornhuskers in departing for the PAC 10.

This appeared to be the rats fleeing off of a sinking ship.

For now it looks like the sinking ship is managing to stay afloat, but for how much longer. A major reason that Texas is staying with the Big XII is because of television money. The Longhorns are reportedly looking to not only cash in on television contracts, but to create their own television network.

This new development could mean major changes for all of college athletics...not just for the Bg XII. If Texas is able to pull off creating their own network there is no stopping another power school like Notre Dame from following the Longhorns lead.

This would be tremendously bad for the Big Ten with the Irish no longer interested in the Big Ten's television revenue which is the highest in all of college athletics.

The major driving force of all conference expansion is the all mighty dollar. With the Big Ten already having it's own network, and the PAC 10 looking to create one, schools outside of those conferences would be ready to jump right on board to cash in. But if schools like Texas can create their own network then the sky is the limit.

This is by no means the last we've heard of conference expansion. The Big Ten and PAC are all still in the market for new schools and expanding. The Big XII is safe for now but there remains many questions about the possibility of conference expansion.

Who will move? Where will they go? When will they go? How big is too big? And how much money is enough?

Only time will tell...

The Fix Is In For the Big XII

The destruction of the Big XII is picking up steam, and it may be just a matter of time until the process is complete after the departures of Colorado and Nebraska.

Orangeblood.com is reporting that Nebraska will be accepting an invitation to become a member of the Big Ten. Colorado is also announcing today that the Buffaloes will become a member of the PAC 10 conference.

Colorado is cashing in on their invite to the PAC 10. It remains a mystery to whether or not the other five schools that recieved bids will follow. It is being reported that Texas officials and Texas A&M officials are meeting to discuss a plan of action in making their move to the PAC 10.

If Texas and Texas A&M depart for the PAC 10 expect the other three schools to follow. Leaving Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State out in the cold after Missouri follows the Cornhuskers to the Big Ten.

Baylor's fate is not sealed yet because of the pending legislation in the Texas state government. Legislatures in Texas are reportedly being pushed by Baylor to pass a piece of legislation that would force the PAC 10 to bring all of the Texas state schools that are in the Big XII into the PAC 10 in an expansion.

There is still a lot to play out but expansion is picking up steam now after the departures of Nebraska and Colorado from the Big XII. The clock is ticking on the Big XII and the clock is also ticking on Notre Dame. If the Irish want to become members of the Big Ten they will need to make a decision soon with the imminent availability of other big conference schools.

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

For many sports fans it may be hard to find any coach better then John Wooden. Bo Ryan is one of the greatest coaches to ever lead the Wisconsin Badgers, but he is no Wooden. Dick Bennett may have taken the Badgers to the Final Four, but he is no Wooden. But Madison.com writer Mike Lucas has found one badger that got the best of John Wooden...twice.

Back in Wooden's first season at UCLA, and his first game, Wisconsin head coach Bud Foster led the Badgers to a Wisconsin victory over the Bruins in Los Angeles. As surprising as it may seem...John Wooden at one time was 0-1. A year later Foster got his licks in on the great Wooden again when the Badgers once again defeated the Bruins back at the Fieldhouse in Madison.

We all know how the rest of the story goes. John Wooden went on to win ten NCAA championships, 37 straight games in the NCAA tournament, and 88 consecuative regular season wins at one point. But sometimes it is nice to know that Bucky has gotten even the best of the best, and taken down the immortal.

John Wooden will always be remembered as perhaps the greatest college basketball coach of all time, but for just one game...just for one time he was 0-1. So at least Wisconsin got the great one...twice.

To read Mike Lucas' article go to Madison.com. I highly recomend it.

The Shake Up in Women's Coaches

This offseason has been one of change for the various women's progams at UW. Kathi Bennett has now departed for Northern Illinois, and softball head coach Chandelle Schulte is out.

Following the women's basketball season there were plenty of opportunities for now former assistant Kathi Bennet, but after being turned down for head coaching jobs at Wright State and Indiana Stat it looked like Bennett was going to be back in Madison for one more year. Then without any notice she was in DeKalb, Ill. taking the head coaching job at Northern Illinois.

The Badgers now are moving on and looking to replace Bennett, and they now may have their man. Again Lisa Stone is looking at another head coach rather than a career assistant to fill the void. Today, the Badgers announced that they will hire John Barnes to fill the vacant spot.

Barnes who spent the last seven seasons as the head coach at Michigan Tech will be the newest addition to the Stone coaching staff. In his tenure at Michigan Tech Barnes led his team to five NCAA Dvision II tournament appearances, and a birth in the elite eight just this past season.

On the softball side of the athletic department their remains a large whole to fill at the head coaching position. Chandelle Schlute was canned last week after five seasons, but the story is even wierder than your normal departure.

Madison.com is reporting that following the season ending loss to Michigan State, Schlute handed the awards out in the locker room rathern than waiting for team banquet later that night. The banquet had been cancelled without any notice being given to the players families who had traveled from all across the country to be their that night.

Schlute was later fired after she was asked to resign by the athletic department. She decided not to resign and was later fired. No new head coach has been hired to this poitn.

A crazy end to an crazy spring for the women's coaching staffs in Madison.

Video of the Week: Sweet Home Chicago?

After losing to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the NBA Playoffs the LeBron James sweepstakes has officially begun. But perhaps the hype about King James is a little too much.

We all remember the pop-a-shot games at bars and game rooms, but apparently even I could crush LeBron. On the Jimmy Kimmel show he put the future hall of fame to the test against of all people...a busboy.

So for this week's Video of the Week I give you...the next Chicago Bull?

Nebraska On the Clock

The two minute warning has been given to the Cornhuskers...are you in or are you out?

The Big XII has reportedly given Nebraska a deadline to decide the university's status as a member of the conference.

With rumors about Nebraska possibly looking to become a member of the Big Ten, and recent reports of possible offers to six Big XII schools to become members of the PAC 10; the Big XII is tightening it's belt. Nebraska reportedly will have two weeks to respond to the conference with it's intentions to either remain with the conference or leave for another.

The Cornhusker's response will have serious consequences when it comes to the expansion dreams of the Big Ten and the PAC 10. If Nebraska decides it will look elsewhere expect the expansion process for the two conferences to be put on the fast track. A decision to stay with the Big XII will most likely bring expansion to a screeching halt.

Either way in two weeks we may for the first time have some solid answers as to where Big Ten expansion is heading.

The End Is Near...

The Big XII is slowly starting to disband. After months of rumors that two schools could be leaving the conference for the Big Ten new rumors are hinting that the conference may be soon done for good.

The PAC 10 has reportedly extended offers to six Big XII schools to become members of the conference. A possible departure could mark the end for the conference with Texas and Oklahoma being among those reportedly receiving offers.

Throughout the history of the Big XII Texas and Oklahoma have been the two schools the conference depends on. If the Sooners and Longhorns would leave the Big XII the conference would quickly slip to mid-major status.

A possible Nebraska and Missouri move to the Big Ten would make the Big XII into an average mid-major. Coupling those departures with Colorado, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech leaving the conference...the Big XII would become a shell of a conference.

The remaining members of the Big XII would include Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, and Kansas State. Even with those schools remaining the conference would be forced to bring in new members or disband completely.

Just as a reminder for all those reading this that this is a worst case scenario for the Big XII conference and in all likelihood will not become a definite reality for a long time. But what does this mean for the Big Ten with it's expansion dreams....a lot.

If the PAC 10 were to take in six new members from the Big XII it would make the Nebraska and Missouri decisions a lot easier for those schools. And the possibility of at least a couple of the other four remaining looking to join the Big Ten.

Kansas and Kansas State would make an easy addition to the Big Ten right off the bat. They feature an instate rivalry that comes already in a nice package. Couple that with the recent success in basketball for Kansas State, and basketball tradition of Kansas and you have a great addition to the Big Ten.

Iowa State could add a whole new dynamic to the whole equation. Iowa would more than likely rather keep the cyclones in the Big XII rather than face them with conference consequences, and have to recruit against them in the conference. This would be a minor detail, but would not make a difference in Iowa State becoming a Big Ten member.

So the Big XII versus PAC 10 discussion does make a difference in the Big Ten. It could make Big Ten expansion a done deal, or it could severely mess up expansion and extend the process. I'll place my bet on this taking a while longer.