ESPN: Maryland center Diamond Stone has been suspended for Thursday’s game against Minnesotaafter the freshman big man shoved Wisconsin forward Vitto Brown‘s head to the floor late in the first half of his team’s 70-57 loss on Saturday.

The school made the decision, and it was supported by the Big Ten.

Stone, who scored 10 points and grabbed one rebound in the loss, was issued a contact dead ball technical foul but was not tossed from the game.

What a classy move by Maryland. I mean I don’t know where they get such a bad rap, but it’s not fair. Sure, they may pay to get big time recruits and they may welcome in transfers who have been accused of rape, but if one of their players assaults somebody on national television, they won’t even be allowed to play against 0-13 Minnesota. That’ll show him.

In a jam packed show, Rich and Max analyze the impact of the departure of Daronte Jones and finally get to their backlog of listener mail. Those segments bookend their detailed projections for what the Badger defense will look like in 2016.

First thing’s first with this story… The kid on the left is a dude, right? That’s gotta be a guy. So what’s he doing “undergoing a beauty treatment” in his college dorm? If anything that’s what the internet should be criticizing him for, not for posting a picture where it looks like he’s trying to be a black guy for Halloween.

That being said, I still think this is just people freaking out about race for the sake of freaking out about race. Yeah, they probably should’ve known that a few eyebrows would raise at the sight of a couple college kids wearing anything that even resembles black face, but I just don’t think they were trying to make some anti-black statement by posting a picture on the UW SnapChat story. Although the chick throwing up the deuce didn’t do them any favors. If you’re gonna post that picture, everything else about the scene has to be as white as possible to make it very obvious that you’re not imitating black people. So actually now that I think about it, I just changed my mind mid-blog. Racist.

Obviously last night was a big win for the Badgers, but in even bigger news, Steven Avery’s lawyer Jerry Buting was in the house to see the upset. That’s Coach Ryan’s daughter Brenna who spotted him at the game – You guys remember her, right?

Unfortunately it sounds like Jerry was pulling for the Hoosiers because he’s an IU alum, but apparently he also said he cheers for UW when they’re not playing Indiana. I guess it’s not that surprising for a person who lives in Wisconsin to go to Badger games, but it’s still funny to see the same guy who was finding tampered blood vials on Netflix now watching basketball at the Kohl Center. If I had to bet I’d say Ken Kratz is probably a HUGE Michigan State fan.

Too bad Jerry didn’t have Dean with him though, I liked to picture those two still doing everything together.

My first encounter with Bo Ryan was on my first visit to Madison. I drove up to the campus with my dad early one morning to see what the school had to offer, and it was my first visit to any college campus due to the fact I was not a heavily recruited player. I had maybe one or two scholarship offers at that point from small schools in Illinois. Howard Moore met my dad and I right in front of the Kohl Center and then proceeded to take us around campus, and on a tour through the basketball facilities. Once that was finished, I walked into Coach Ryan’s office and saw him sitting there with his wife, Kelly. I shook his hand then sat down on the couch in his office and we began our meeting. He talked about the school, the basketball program, the tradition, the football team, the academics, etc… I was so nervous I could barely speak. I’m pretty sure that I didn’t say more than 10 words during the entire hour I was in there, so my dad did most of the talking (as he usually does). After that hour, I shook his hand and went to walk out of the room. That’s when I heard the most subtle, yet exciting thing I had heard to that point in my life. “Oh, just so we are clear, you have a scholarship offer from the University of Wisconsin if you want it.” I turned to my dad and asked if I could commit on the spot, and if it had not been for my mom not being there, I probably would have. Instead I waited a few weeks to play hard to get (I’m obviously kidding).

I’m gonna be completely honest – My first few years with Coach Ryan didn’t go well.  I felt like he and I didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. A lot of that had to do with the fact that I was too immature to see how he was becoming one of the most important figures in my development as a player, but more importantly as a man. He was harsh on me. He yelled at me, benched me, told me I looked like I was sleeping all the time, told me to just go sit down during practice, told me I wasn’t allowed to shoot unless there was 5 seconds or less on the shot clock. I didn’t realize it at the time, but what he was doing was getting the most he could out of me. It got to the point where I didn’t want to prove anything to anyone else but him. I stayed after practices and worked on my game. I shot until my arms hurt. I busted my ass in the weight room. All of it to prove to Coach Ryan that I was better than I felt he was giving me credit for.

Looking back on it, I know now that Coach Ryan knew what I was capable of becoming. I see so many different instances now that were signals of him understanding what he had in me. One time in particular was during a summer practice before my junior year. He pulled me aside and asked, “You wouldn’t leave this school early, would you?” I didn’t think anything of it at the time, and I’m not sure if he would even recall that, but it stuck out to me because I hadn’t even played a truly meaningful minute of basketball for Wisconsin at that point. I said I wouldn’t, and I meant it when I had the opportunity to leave Wisconsin a year early. It was even more evident when he told me after my junior year that if I stayed and worked hard that summer our team would take the program to a whole different level, and that I would be in consideration for National Player of the Year. He was right again.

The most important thing that Bo ever passed on to me were the lessons I learned through the game of basketball. He taught me how to work with and rely on other people when things weren’t going my way. He taught me the concept of moving on and not letting one bad thing spiral into many bad things. He taught me what it takes to achieve what I want. He taught me to be great at all the things that don’t take any skill. The fire and passion that everyone saw on the sidelines during the games was permanent in his personality. It was evident in every practice, shoot around, film session, and scouting report. He passed that approach to basketball on to me and countless other players.

Without Bo taking a chance on that tall white kid from suburban Illinois, I wouldn’t have been given the opportunity to attend the best University in the country. I wouldn’t have met some of my best friends. I wouldn’t have gone to back-to-back Final Fours. The whole complexion of my life would be completely different. I can’t imagine taking an alternate path to get to where I am right now. If not for Coach Ryan, I don’t know where I would be, but I can assure you this: It would not be any better. He took in an immature kid that very few people wanted, and in nothing short of a modern miracle, turned him into a man ready to face the future. It is impossible to count the number of people who have a story to tell about Coach Ryan. I’m only capable of telling my own, but right now I’m sure I speak for everyone. Thank you, Bo.

With the start of the 2015-16 college basketball season approaching, Bo Ryan has filled the last walk-on spot on the roster with Will Decorah, a junior at UW who had been a student manager for the team up to this point in his college career. Decorah is a Waunakee native who high school sports fans will probably remember as the quarterback for the Warriors when they were one of the best teams in the state. Obviously he played basketball there too, and he was also an AAU teammate of Bronson Koenig’s for the Playground Warriors. His dad played for Coach Ryan in Platteville and was on their first National Championship team in 1991.

This may not be big news to the casual fan, but for a guy with roots in the Badger basketball managerial staff, we might as well have just made our third straight Final Four. Not since the likes of Tanner Bronson has a manager turned player and had a shot to actually be a Badger, and it’s cool to see a guy you’ve wiped sweat and taken stats with get an opportunity like this. I was on staff when we first hired Will to be a manager, and let’s just say he was always the guy who stuck out a little bit when we were playing intramurals. He’s also always been a big TVL supporter, so he’s a guy we should all be pulling for. I just hope he won’t miss the fame and glory that comes with being a manager.

Congrats to Will, and let’s fast forward to Badger basketball already.

You guys remember Claudia Sampedro? Julius Peppers’ Instagram model girlfriend that used to date Reggie Bush? Well it turns out they’re not waiting until marriage to have sexual intercourse, because she announced yesterday that there’s a bun in the oven. It’s a shame because it seemed like she had so many good years of scantily clad Instagram pictures left in the tank, but you know it’ll never really be the same after this. Obviously it’d be a smart move to unfollow her for the next 9 months, because nobody wants to see all the pregnancy timeline pictures.

For a girl that dates strictly NFL players and posts mostly naked pictures on social media, this has to pretty much be the holy grail, right? I have to assume that the ultimate goal in that game is to lock up a child support check from a future Hall of Famer, and now it’s official. I don’t mean to imply that Julius Peppers and Claudia Sampedro aren’t a classic love story between Instagram model and defensive end, but in the rare instance that they’re not together forever, she’s still sitting pretty good.

One day you’re being recruited by a team that’s been to back-to-back Final Fours, the next day you’re getting tossed from parties at UWM. It’s truly a dog eat dog world out there. Guy could have been the hometown hero and now he’s literally getting thrown out of Wisconsin. Tough break, kid.

Editor’s Note: I asked Josh to put together a message for Badger fans following this year’s run to the National Championship game and ultimately his 5-year career, and he was more than willing to share his thoughts on what his time at Wisconsin meant to him. He’s been the guy that’s embodied what it means to be a Badger for a long time – The Captain, the homegrown guy, the lockdown defender, and the voice of reason. It’s hard to say good-bye, but here it is, in his words. – JD

What’s up Badger Nation,

I would first like to say how disappointed, heartbroken, and sorry I am that we couldn’t bring a National Championship back to Wisconsin. I truly believed we were the best team in the country and that we were going to win that game, but those 40 minutes did not go our way, and we got beat.

That’s not what this is about. This is about how much of an honor it was to be a part of this program for the past 5 years, and how appreciative I am of all the fans throughout my career. We could not have accomplished anything if it wasn’t for the support of all you guys. Playing in front of a sold-out Kohl Center crowd every night was special, but even that doesn’t do you all justice. It’s the little things such as the “congratulations” or “I love you” tweets, the high-fives on the street, and filling our hotel lobby before and after games. Seeing the support during difficult times such as this really makes me realize how lucky I am. People coming up to me and saying “thank you” for what we did, or telling us how proud they are makes everything better. It makes me realize just how special of a place Wisconsin really is. Thank you guys for giving me the best five years of my life.

It’s about time to stop thinking about what could’ve been, but rather what was. This team is going to go down as the greatest ever assembled at the University of Wisconsin. We went 36-4 (the most wins in school history), won the Big Ten handily with a 16-2 record, cut the nets in the Big Ten Tournament, made it to the Final Four for only the fourth time in school history, and ultimately made it to the National Championship game. What we have accomplished these past two years stacks up against all of the national “powerhouses.” It pissed me off a little that Wisconsin hasn’t gotten the respect we deserved over the years, which is a big reason why #MakeEmBelieve took off. Since Coach Ryan took over, Wisconsin has been one of the best programs in the country, especially these past two years:

Our accomplishments on the court can never be taken away from us (especially because we run a clean program), but what made this team special was what we were about away from it. Everything you guys read about this team and how great we got along off the court was 100% true. Even though a few of us are immature (Frank), dirty (Bronson), and corny (Nigel), we still had a brotherhood I can’t find the words to explain. We worked together, fought together, won together, and had fun together. Most days I was at the Kohl Center for about 8 hours – 3-4 hours were spent on basketball, while the rest we spent just hanging out, joking around. That gives you an idea of how great our team really was, and what this program is all about. All 16 guys on the roster got along, and they will be considered my best friends/brothers forever. I always knew my college career would end some day, so being able to create relationships, memories, a legacy, and also get a pretty damn good degree is all I ever wanted.

As hard as it is for even me to look back and realize how successful our season was, it’s difficult to ignore the accomplishments we have attained, and I am confident that this will continue in the future and as long as Coach Ryan is at the helm. Wisconsin basketball is in good hands.

On, Wisconsin! #MadeEmBelieve

Josh Gasser

By now everybody with internet access has heard the news that the Badgers missed out on 5-star big man Diamond Stone, as he committed to Maryland last night. Obviously immediately after he announced his decision on Twitter the rumors started flying about why he’s not coming to UW, but everything has been entirely speculation. This won’t be.

Before I get too far into this, let me say ahead of time that I’m not writing this out of bitterness. Obviously I’m disappointed and pissed off that he’s not gonna be a Badger, but I’m not mad at him because of it. He’s a great player. He’ll be great at Maryland, and he’ll play in the NBA. Diamond Stone is just an 18-year-old kid deciding where to go to college, and he doesn’t owe UW anything just because he was born in Wisconsin. I’m just writing this because I know some details about the story, and because the wrong people have ended up taking the fall from this situation. So here’s what the “sources” and “insiders” weren’t talking about when it comes to one of the most hyped recruits to ever come out of Wisconsin not becoming a Badger…

Diamond Stone verbally committed to UW in November. Obviously that never became public knowledge so people will say it’s not true when they read this, but believe it or not, sometimes there’s some stuff that goes on behind the scenes in college sports that beat writers don’t know about (and I’m sure there’s plenty of the story that I don’t know, too. This is just the part that I’ve been told.) Diamond’s dad called Coach Ryan’s house and used the phrase “You might want to sit down for this” like he was about to announce the second coming of Jesus Christ. His dad then put Diamond on the phone, and he told Coach that he wanted to be a Badger. The problem was, both parties knew all along he didn’t have the grades/ACT score to get into the University at the time. I know this because Coach’s daughter Brenna answered the phone and was right there when it happened, and she’s a close friend of mine.

It's ok, I didn't get into the UW either.

— Brenna Ryan (@BrenkRyan) March 28, 2015

(No idea how she isn’t a Twitter sensation, by the way. If you’re looking for some entertainment, I recommend the follow.)

I’m not writing this to make fun of the guy or call him stupid – A lot of people don’t get into Madison. They just usually end up going to Minnesota, not Maryland. Hell, it’s common knowledge that Gary Andersen left Wisconsin because he couldn’t get his recruits into school (and because he’s a pussy). This isn’t a new issue for UW coaching staffs to deal with, but it’s a pretty important part of the real story. I know I’m not the first one saying Diamond Stone had a low ACT score because that’s been going around Twitter forever, I’m just confirming it. So, because he wasn’t admitted to the University yet, he decided to wait for a while before giving a half hour warning on Twitter to announce his commitment to the Badgers, instead of doing it right then.

At that point he still had time to improve his scores and be admitted, so he kept pushing back his public commitment because he didn’t want to end up getting denied and then have to face the embarrassment of decommitting – and rightfully so. Who would want to make that announcement? I can’t blame the guy. The decision eventually came down from UW that he was not admitted, so last night he announced that he’s going to Maryland – his second choice. (To be fair, I’m not blaming UW, either. I’ve already said I’m glad we have a standard for student athletes. It’s just frustrating.)

But the most frustrating part of the situation is that it makes it look like the program and our coaching staff made a mistake by not getting one of the biggest recruits in America when he grew up right in our backyard. The same thing happened when Vander Blue committed to Marquette. He was committed to UW and then ended up not getting into school, but the public perception is that these guys snubbed the Badgers, which just isn’t the case. It’s billed as a shortcoming of Wisconsin basketball, when in all actuality the mistake was not on their part.

People always jump to a kid’s defense when Twitter trolls talk bad about a guy like Diamond Stone for making his college decision, but nobody ever backs up the coaches who do the recruiting. It’s assumed that missing on a big time recruit is a failure on the part of the coaching staff. People call for their jobs or say recruiting at Wisconsin needs to change, but the fact is that they had no control in the matter. This is far from the first time this has happened, it’s just the one that got the most attention because Diamond is a complete monster. That’s what actually pissed me off about this situation. They’re the ones that end up looking bad, and recruiting is very literally part of their livelihood – but they can’t say anything about it. We have some great coaches and they’re a huge reason Wisconsin is playing to go to back-t0-back Final Fours in a few hours – But when stuff like this happens, they take the brunt of it because a lot of people don’t know the real story. It’s like at the end of the Dark Knight when Harvey Dent is the one who ends up becoming the hero and Batman has to take the fall. You either die a hero, or you coach long enough to see yourself become the enemy because a kid’s PPG is higher than his ACT.