Morning State Sports Briefs: Badgers to play Virginia in Big 10/ACC Challenge

• Wisconsin Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball

Talk about it

MADISON - The University of Wisconsin will host Virginia on November 28th in the Big Ten-ACC men’s basketball challenge. The pairings were announced yesterday – and it’s the first time the Badgers and Cavaliers will have met in the 13 years since the challenge began.

Virginia is coached by Tony Bennett, who was on the Wisconsin coaching staff for four years ending in 2003. He spent some of that time working under his father, former Badgers’ coach Dick Bennett. Tony Bennett is starting his fourth year at Virginia, and his teams have gone 53-41. The Wisconsin men are 6-7 in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, and the victories are tied for the most among Big Ten teams. The Badgers had a three-game winning streak in the series, until they lost by three points at fifth-ranked North Carolina last fall.

__________________________________________________________________________

The Milwaukee Brewers will try to avoid getting swept tonight in their two-game series in New York against the Mets. The Brewers have lost 11-of-their-last-14 contests on the road, including last night’s 3-1 loss in which both teams mustered just nine total hits. Right-hander Zack Greinke will start for the Brew Crew against New York right-hander Dillon Gee. Greinke is 3-1 with a three-point-three-five ERA. He’s coming off a stellar performance against Cincinnati last Wednesday in which he gave up just three hits in eight scoreless innings. But he wound up with a no-decision after the Brewers lost the game in the ninth. Gee is 2-and-2 with a four-point-seven-eight ERA. He’s coming off a no-decision against Philadelphia in which he gave up four runs on 10 hits in five-and-two-thirds innings. Gee will make his fourth home start of the year tonight, and has not won any of them. The Mets are five games above .500, while the Brew Crew is five games below the break-even point at 15-20.

__________________________________________________________________________

Both Wisconsin teams in the Class-“A” Midwest League are tied for first place this morning. The Beloit Snappers joined the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers atop the Western Division. The Snappers beat Clinton at home 5-2 last night, while the Timber Rattlers lost 9-2 at Kane County. The Cougars moved into sole possession of third in the West, three games behind Beloit and Wisconsin. The Timber Rattlers are closing out their series at Kane County late this morning, and Beloit will wrap up its home set against Clinton this evening. There are three other afternoon contests in the Midwest League today. Peoria hosts Burlington. Lake County entertains Great Lakes. And West Michigan is at Fort Wayne. Tonight, East leader Lansing plays at Dayton. Quad Cities plays at Cedar Rapids. And South Bend is at Bowling Green.

__________________________________________________________________________

UW-Milwaukee gave just over $150,000 to Rick Costello in exchange for his resignation as the school’s athletic director. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported on the severance agreement today. Costello ran UWM athletics for 17 months until he left in late April amid concerns about his management style. Also, the school is facing possible NCAA penalties for six self-reported secondary violations in its men’s soccer programs. The payment represents nine months of Costello’s old salary. And if he doesn’t get a new job in those nine months, he’ll get three more months’ worth of severance pay. Also, the school will pay for health insurance for Costello’s family for nine months, or until he gets new coverage – whichever is sooner. The deal also says Costello won’t criticize UWM in public, or vice versa. Former Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger was hired late last week as Milwaukee’s new athletic director.

__________________________________________________________________________

The Milwaukee Bucks’ public relations’ staff has been honored as the best in the NBA. The award is given each year by the Professional Basketball Writers Association to a PR staff that goes the extra mile to work cooperatively with the media. The Bucks’ staff received 32 votes to 10 for second-place Oklahoma City. Dan Smyczek is the Bucks’ public relations’ director. His staff includes PR manager Mark Rosenberg and PR coordinator Kristen Deahl. Also, the writers gave Phoenix Suns’ guard Steve Nash the Magic Johnson award, as the player who combines excellence on the court with cooperation to the media and fans. Boston Celtics’ coach Doc Rivers was recognized for similar reasons in receiving the Rudy Tomjanovich award.

_________________________________________________________________________

SCORES

In the Midwest League…

Beloit 5, Clinton 2

Kane County 9, Wisconsin 2

Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 3

Peoria 2, Burlington 1

Lansing 4, Dayton 2

South Bend 2, Bowling Green 0 in Game-One

Bowling Green 3, South Bend 2 in Game-Two

Fort Wayne 4, West Michigan 0

Lake County 6, Great Lakes 3

Tags: wisconsin sports, sports, proam, brewers, bucks, badgers