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March Mode is back. ESPN Wisconsin’s Alex Strouf and Badger legend Ben Brust break down Wisconsin’s 97-point road statement at Purdue, what the win means for seeding, and how defined roles are shaping this team heading into Big Ten tournament week and Selection Sunday. Toplines • Badgers finish the regular season with a huge road win at Purdue • Nick Boyd and John Blackwell combined for a monster night • Austin Rapp’s role growth and Aleksas Bieliauskas’ defensive presence • Wisconsin locks into the 5-seed for the Big Ten tournament — what to expect in Chicago • Selection Sunday countdown and bracket implications Drop questions in the comments and we’ll answer them on Monday’s episode. ⏱ Chapters 0:00 March Mode Ep. 3 — intro 0:15 Big win at Purdue — overview 0:40 Boyd & Blackwell breakout (48 combined) 1:05 Efficient shooting & first-half explosion (12 threes) 3:00 Austin Rapp’s emergence & defined roles 6:29 Braden Carrington & bench impact 10:16 Aleksas Bieliauskas’ presence down low 13:27 Badgers = 5-seed for Big Ten tourney 15:00 Who they might see in Chicago / matchup notes 19:41 Why one win/loss in the BTT won’t shake confidence 23:30 Closing + Selection Sunday preview

Former Wisconsin guard Zak Showalter joins The Jump Around! He discusses his relationship with Aaron Rodgers, how Badgers fans have embraced this year's teams, Nick Boyd, Gard's success with transfers, and much more!

Wisconsin star guard Nick Boyd joins The Jump Around to talk about his fearless playing style, leadership with the Badgers, and what it will take for Wisconsin to make a run in March. Boyd discusses: His Final Four experience at FAU and how it shapes his mindset The fearless mentality that drives his game How Greg Gard has challenged him as a leader Why the Badgers believe they can compete with anyone in college basketball What it would mean to create a March Madness legacy at Wisconsin

March Mode is back. ESPN Wisconsin’s Alex Strouf and Wisconsin legend Ben Brust react to the Badgers’ 78–45 win over Maryland on Senior Day, but the real story is Nolan Winter’s injury and what it means for Wisconsin’s NCAA Tournament outlook. How does Winter’s absence affect the rotation? Can the Badgers improve their seed with a win at Purdue? Is a 6-seed actually the sweet spot? Plus: Austin Rapp finding his role Braden Carrington’s surge Big Ten Tournament preview Ben’s Final Four LOCK A sleeper team that could crash the bracket Drop your questions in the comments for Monday’s episode.

March Mode is live. ESPN Wisconsin’s Alex Strouf and Wisconsin legend Ben Brust kick off a twice-weekly NCAA Tournament sprint with a full breakdown of the Wisconsin Badgers as March arrives. The Badgers looked like two different teams on the West Coast: a rough loss at Oregon, then a 17-point win at Washington sparked by Braden Carrington’s 32 points and 9 threes. So what does it mean for Wisconsin’s NCAA Tournament seed, their Big Ten Tournament outlook, and the matchups they do (and do not) want? Plus: Ben gives his take on the national title picture, the conferences he trusts most, why he’s skeptical of Duke in March, and quick-hits on Big Ten contenders like Michigan, Illinois, Michigan State, Purdue, Nebraska, and Iowa. Drop your questions in the comments and we’ll hit them on the next episode. Chapters 0:00 March Mode begins 0:56 Badgers: Oregon loss, Washington blowout 2:30 NCAA Tournament seeding: 7 seed vs 6 seed conversation 5:06 Matchups the Badgers should avoid 6:00 Wisconsin’s analytics jump (KenPom/Bart Torvik talk) 10:55 Maryland + Purdue preview 15:20 National contenders and why Ben doubts Duke 22:25 Big Ten “say something nice” lightning round 28:20 Audience questions callout + Ben’s March résumé

Former Badgers guard and host of KBN Ben Brust joins The Jump Around! He tells stories about Howard Moore, gives his thoughts on Wisconsin's tournament aspirations, why Nick Boyd and John Blackwell will be critical to their success, and much more!

Matt Lepay joins Wilde and Tausch! The Voice of the Badgers talks Wisconsin basketball's momentum, Tom Izzo & Greg Gard, his intrigue surrounding UW football, and much more!

Wisconsin Offensive Coordinator Jeff Grimes joins The Jump Around! He breaks down Wisconsin's offensive roster, talks Colton Joseph, battling injuries, and much more!

Wisconsin OLB and Special Teams coach Matt Mitchell joins The Jump Around! He takes a deep dive into the Badgers edge room heading into 2026, Mason Reiger's rising draft stock, the culture of the team, and much more!

Riley Nowakowski, a Wisconsin native and Indiana tight end who helped lead the Hoosiers to a College Football National Championship joins The Jump Around! He speaks on Curt Cignetti, Fernando Mendoza, his journey, and much more!

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard joins Wilde and Tausch following a tough loss in overtime to Indiana featuring a couple of controversial calls in the final minute. Also, Coach Gard helps preview the powerful Howard Moore documentary "A Road At Night" with special theater showings premiering later this week.

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell joins Wilde and Tausch. Discussion of the evolution of the NCAA Transfer Portal, NIL, the outlook for Wisconsin football in 2026, and more.

Wisconsin basketball hero Freddie Owens joins The Jump Around! He talks about this year's iteration of Wisconsin basketball and what has impressed him thus far before discussing what he's learned from coaching, and his soon to be published book "The Echoes of Stark Park"!

Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Mason Posa joins The Jump Around for one of the most candid, energetic interviews of the offseason — diving into LB-U pride, recruiting in the transfer-portal era, and why he believes Wisconsin football is on the verge of something big. Posa breaks down: How he went from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Madison — and why Wisconsin wasn’t even on his radar early The recruiting relationship that pulled him away from Oklahoma and changed his trajectory Why Wisconsin is Linebacker U — and how he plans to carry on the legacy of T.J. Watt, T.J. Edwards, Jack Sanborn, and more Making an early impact as a freshman, earning snaps, and proving he belongs His mindset of competing every week despite ups and downs in the season We also dive into: His tight bond with Cooper Catalano (you'll want to hear the nickname they gave themselves...) Why he fully embraced Badger culture — rivalries, toughness, and wearing the “W” Actively recruiting transfer-portal additions like Colton Joseph and Abu Sama III How Wisconsin’s aggressive portal approach is changing the locker-room mentality Why he believes 9–10 wins and a CFP run aren’t crazy goals Facing elite teams and quarterbacks — and what separates contenders from champions Plus: 🌶 New Mexico food vs. Madison eats 🎮 Off-day hangouts, film habits, and competitive edge 🧠 Why loyalty still matters to him in the NIL + portal era This is a must-watch conversation for Badgers fans wanting a real look inside Wisconsin football’s mindset heading into the next season. 📺 Watch now on ESPN Madison & ESPN Milwaukee’s YouTube channels 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more Badgers interviews and portal coverage

The Wisconsin Badgers are back in the Final Four. Wisconsin dominated the first set and the teams went back and forth with Kentucky winning the match in five sets.

Wisconsin Badgers head wrestling coach Chris Bono joins Riley Jauch and The Jump Around Extra for an in-depth conversation on the present and future of Wisconsin Wrestling, the challenges of the NIL and transfer portal era, and what it takes to build a sustainable championship culture in the Big Ten. Coach Bono discusses: Wisconsin’s 5–0 start and goals heading into Big Ten play How the Badgers can close the gap on Penn State, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska Why development, not the portal, remains the foundation of the program The importance of All-Americans and national champions in March How Wisconsin measures progress beyond dual-meet wins The rapid growth of wrestling nationally and in the state of Wisconsin The future of women’s wrestling and why the sport is at an all-time high Bono also opens up about: The difficulty of adversity as a coach vs. athlete Building lifelong relationships with his wrestlers Maintaining roster continuity in the NIL + transfer portal era Recruiting and retaining Wisconsin in-state talent The culture of hustle, effort, accountability, and commitment inside the room Plus, Coach Bono explains why fans should make it a priority to pack the UW Field House, what makes this team especially entertaining to watch, and his vision for taking Wisconsin Wrestling events across the state. This is a must-watch conversation for Badgers fans, wrestling fans, and anyone interested in how college athletics is evolving.

The Wisconsin Badgers are back in Final Four! The Badgers went on the road to the No. 1 seed Texas Longhorns winning in four sets. Wisconsin now heads to their 7th Final Four.

The 3 seed Wisconsin Badgers travel to Texas for the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament to face the Stanford Cardinal. Wisconsin comes away with their first win ever over Stanford and advance to their 8th consecutive Elite Eight.

Play-by-play voice of UW volleyball and women's basketball Jon Arias joins The Jump Around! He discusses Badgers VB heading into the Sweet 16, whether a Final Four run would be a surprise, whether he’s a believer in Robin Pingeton and how her leadership differs from past approaches and much more!

Jim Polzin of BadgerExtra joins The Jump Around! He discusses Wisconsin football’s disappointing season, the early outlook for Wisconsin men’s basketball, his reporting on UW’s response to abuse allegations against former WBB coach, Marisa Mosely and much more!