UCLA is days away from starting its second season in the Big Ten. After capturing seven Big Ten championships during their first year in the conference, the Bruins will look to build upon their inaugural year. Prior to the start of UCLA’s second Big Ten campaign, Daily Bruin Sports will preview football, basketball and other top programs from each school.
Football
2024 record: 5-7, 3-6 Big Ten
Coach: Luke Fickell
Player to watch: Vinny Anthony II
Coach Luke Fickell is heading into his third year at the helm of Wisconsin football, and as the saying goes, the third time’s the charm.
After the Badgers posted their worst record in 24 years last season – the first campaign since 2001 without a bowl game – the charm needs to deliver.
It wasn’t all negative, though, particularly with the offensive line.
Center Jake Renfro and right tackle Riley Mahlman anchored a Badger offensive line that allowed just 13 sacks – the third fewest in the Big Ten. As a unit, the Badgers gave up 47 tackles-for-loss, good for fourth-fewest in the conference. Mahlman had a strong year, posting a 74.5 PFF offensive grade, which was 10th-best for Big Ten tackles in 2024.
It was clear the Badgers struggled offensively – the team’s 2,360 receiving yards were bottom five in the Big Ten. Quarterback Braedyn Locke struggled to find his targets, posting a 55.4 completion percentage, 15th in the Big Ten. Locke transferred to Arizona, leaving the Badgers with their third signal caller in just as many seasons.
Fickell turned to the transfer portal and picked up Danny O’Neil from San Diego State and Billy Edwards Jr. from Maryland. O’Neil has taken a majority of the snaps with the Badgers so far this year and currently boasts a 76.1 completion percentage.
Wide receiver Vinny Anthony II has been the primary target. The Louisville, Kentucky, local could be the solution to the Badgers’ offensive struggles, after leading the squad with 672 receiving yards and four touchdowns off 39 catches last season. His 17.2 yards per catch was good for fourth in the Big Ten.
The offense’s development is crucial for the squad, but with the return of a strong offensive line and a new signal caller, the Badgers may find that the third time really is the charm and return to bowl eligibility.
Men’s Basketball
2024-2025 record: 27-10, 13-7 Big Ten, NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance
Coach: Greg Gard
Player to watch: John Blackwell
Progression.
That’s what has characterized the last two seasons of Wisconsin men’s basketball. The squad reached the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2023 and the second round in 2024, after averaging 80.1 points per game last season and topping the Big Ten with an 82.6 clip on free throws.
But despite entering the tournament as the No. 3 seed, Wisconsin fell to No. 6 BYU by just two points. And as coach Greg Gard enters his 11th season at the helm, different progress may be in the future. Though the team’s progression will look a little different this year, as the program lost 11 players but welcomed nine new faces.
Guard John Blackwell will anchor this fresh Badgers squad after his breakout 2024 campaign. The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, local posted 583 total points last season – second-most on the team – and received an All-Big Ten honorable mention.
Returning forward Nolan Winter will take to the court with a new physical look. Winter has prioritized the weight room, bulking up around 10 pounds to be 245 in the offseason. He averaged 9.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a starter, making his contributions crucial to the Badgers’ offense.
Gard brought in talent through the portal to support Blackwell and Winter on the court and make that leap to produce a deep postseason run.
Transfer guard Nick Boyd brings speed and a veteran presence to Wisconsin after three seasons at FAU and one at SDSU. The Garnerville, New York, local has played in three NCAA tournaments, with a Final Four appearance with FAU in 2023.
Gard also picked up guard Andrew Rohde, whose versatile passing will mesh with Gard’s system. The Brookfield, Wisconsin, local will be reliable from the field, shooting 43.2% last year and connecting on 77.3% of his free throws.
With a revamped squad, the Badgers could break through and dominate in the Big Ten this season.
Women’s Basketball
2024-2025 record: 13-17, 4-14 Big Ten
Coach: Robin Pingeton
Player to watch: Ronnie Porter
A new era is coming to Wisconsin women’s basketball, and it begins with coach Robin Pingeton.
In her first year in Wisconsin, she brings experience, long-term success and the knowledge to rebuild a program. Pingeton is coming off a 15-year stretch at the University of Missouri, where she led the Tigers to consistent success, acquiring four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2016 to 2019.
Pingeton knows exactly what it takes to revitalize a program, and she’s already made those strides in her first offseason.
After the resignation of coach Marisa Moseley, six Badgers hit the transfer portal, including Ronnie Porter. But Pingeton connected with the guard, convincing her to return.
The guard’s story is different from most; she began as a walk-on before becoming a two-year starter. During her breakout 2024 campaign, the St. Paul, Minnesota, local averaged 8.6 points per game and ended the year with 250 total points.
Porter’s retention will be extremely crucial, as six transfers have joined the team and most of the returning players are inexperienced. Porter will be the bridge for her teammates to build a bond and start growing as a unit.
Porter will be joined by guard Kyrah Daniels from Missouri State, who averaged 12 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season, logging a team-high 32 blocks. Other transfers include former Howard guard Destiny Howell, who averaged 14.9 points per game last season, and forward Gift Uchenna Okeke, who averaged 14.5 points per game. Both players will play important roles in the Badgers’ lineup this season.
With all the new pieces added, the Badgers will need to mesh and grow throughout the season to make a postseason push for the first time since 2010.
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