Welcome back to the Bucky Report, where we dive deep into everything you need to know about the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team heading into the 2025-26 season. In this full-season preview we’ll cover:

• Top players to watch — returning stars, key transfers, surprise newcomers

• Big Ten outlook & Wisconsin’s record prediction

• Team identity: strengths, weaknesses, what must improve

• Superlatives: Breakout player, biggest X-factor, sleeper team in the league

• Key games on the schedule + can this program finally make a deeper March run?

The Badgers are coming off a 27-10 season (13-7 in the Big Ten) and while they return only ~32 % of last year’s minutes and ~40 % of last year’s starts, coach Greg Gard has retooled the roster with purpose and experience in the transfer portal.

Whether you’re a lifelong Wisconsin fan, Big Ten hoops junkie, or just love college basketball under-dog stories — this video will give you the full breakdown.

👍 Like the video if you expect the Badgers to exceed expectations this year, and comment below: Who’s your pick for the Badgers’ breakout star?

🏀 Keywords / tags: Wisconsin Badgers basketball, Wisconsin Badgers preview 2025-26, Big Ten basketball preview, Greg Gard, Wisconsin Badgers key players, college basketball preview 2025

Help The Bucky Report get some feedback! We would appreciate any listeners taking this short 15 min survey to help us grow the show! http://bit.ly/thebuckyreport-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The youth movement is officially on. Wisconsin may have fallen to Oregon, but The Future was on full display; and for once, Badger fans left feeling a little bit hopeful??

Rajeev and Justin break down which young players flashed the most, why they should’ve been playing all season, and how this defense continues to give Wisconsin a fighting chance. We’ll also talk about the quarterback situation, coaching decisions, and what this team could (and should) look like when they take the field again in two weeks.

The pieces are there… now it’s about putting them together.

Follow Rajeev on X: https://x.com/RajeevBadgers

Follow Justin on X: https://x.com/BuckyReportJJ

Follow the show on X: https://x.com/TheBuckyReport

SATURDAY LOCKS YOUTUBE CHANNEL - https://www.youtube.com/@SaturdayLocks

Help The Bucky Report get some feedback! We would appreciate any listeners taking this short 15 min survey to help us grow the show! http://bit.ly/thebuckyreport-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Badger Blueprint time — and this week, we’re breaking down Wisconsin’s big road matchup against Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks. We’ll dive into our 3 Big Things and discuss where the Badgers can find an edge (if anywhere), and if this team can show any signs of life in one of the largest underdog spreads they've seen in decades, probably ever!

Plus, SCORE PREDICTIONS!

All that and more, right here on The Bucky Report — your home for honest Badger talk, every single week.

Help The Bucky Report get some feedback! We would appreciate any listeners taking this short 15 min survey to help us grow the show! http://bit.ly/thebuckyreport-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Wisconsin Badgers were hammered 34-0 by Ohio State — and yet the administration is signaling full support for head coach Luke Fickell and committing to big investment in the program.

🔍 In this episode we break down:

• Why Wisconsin athletic leadership is still standing behind Fickell despite blowout losses.

• How the 34-0 loss to Ohio State (shut out again) exposes deep issues in the Badgers’ offense and coaching decisions.

• What the “big investment in the football team” really means — does it signal hope or panic?

• How fans and alumni are responding: “Fire Fickell” chants, frustration mounting.

• What’s next for Wisconsin: can Fickell turn it around, or is the hot-seat getting hotter?

✅ Make sure to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you don’t miss our full breakdown of the season, coaching staff moves, recruiting shifts, and what this all means for 2026.

Help The Bucky Report get some feedback! We would appreciate any listeners taking this short 15 min survey to help us grow the show! http://bit.ly/thebuckyreport-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Badger Blueprint time — and this week, we’re breaking down Wisconsin’s massive matchup with Ohio State. We’ll dive into our 3 Big Things and discuss where the Badgers can find an edge (if anywhere), and what this showdown could mean for Luke Fickell’s future in Madison. Can Wisconsin show signs of life against a powerhouse, or is this the end of the road for the Fickell era?!

All that and more, right here on The Bucky Report — your home for honest Badger talk, every single week.

Help The Bucky Report get some feedback! We would appreciate any listeners taking this short 15 min survey to help us grow the show! http://bit.ly/thebuckyreport-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wisconsin football has officially hit rock bottom. After a humiliating 37-0 loss to Iowa, the Badgers look completely broken — and the Luke Fickell era may already be untenable. What was supposed to be a new beginning for Wisconsin has spiraled into an identity crisis marked by lifeless offense, poor discipline, and a locker room that looks lost. In this episode, we dive deep into how it all fell apart: the failures in coaching and culture, the lack of development on both lines, and the growing sense that this program has lost its soul. We’ll talk about whether Luke Fickell can realistically survive this disaster, what went wrong behind the scenes, and where Wisconsin football goes from here. This isn’t just another bad loss — it feels like the end of something.

Subscribe to The Bucky Report and join the conversation as we unpack the collapse of a once-proud program and ask the question every Badger fan is thinking: is the Luke Fickell era already over?

Help The Bucky Report get some feedback! We would appreciate any listeners taking this short 15 min survey to help us grow the show! http://bit.ly/thebuckyreport-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Wisconsin Badgers face a major test in a rivalry game this weekend against the Iowa Hawkeyes! Can Luke Fickell get a signature win? Can we take back the trophy??? IT'S HOMECOMING IN MADISON and we will be at the game. Tune in this episode for our 3 Big Things and score predictions!

Help The Bucky Report get some feedback! We would appreciate any listeners taking this short 15 min survey to help us grow the show! http://bit.ly/thebuckyreport-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wisconsin’s 24–10 loss at Michigan may have added another “L” to the record, but it also gave us our first real look at Hunter Simmons running this Badger offense — and there’s plenty to unpack. Simmons showed flashes of composure, accuracy, and leadership, even behind an offensive line that continues to struggle in protection. We’ll break down what he did well, where the timing and reads still need work, and whether he’s earned another start heading into the Iowa game next week at Camp Randall.

Then we’re getting into the decisions that had Badger fans fuming — from the conservative second-half play-calling to the late-game clock management that left timeouts on the board. Was Luke Fickell playing not to lose? Or did he simply not trust this offense yet? We’ll dissect what it says about the current coaching mindset and whether adjustments are finally coming.

And yes — there’s still reason for optimism. The Wisconsin defense battled all afternoon, holding Michigan to just ten points in the first half and keeping the Badgers within reach until late in the fourth. We’ll highlight the players who stood out, what Jim Leonhard (or Mike Tressel, depending on context) has cooking schematically, and why this performance could be a real turning point heading into the Big Ten West grind.

It’s not all doom and gloom — this one felt different. We’re talking Simmons’ poise, the coaching heat, and the defensive fight that might finally give this team a new identity.

🎙️ Hosted by Rajeev & Justin on The Bucky Report — your home for honest, unfiltered Badger football talk all season long.

👇 Drop your thoughts below — was this loss more about execution or coaching?

👍 Like, subscribe & hit the bell to stay locked in every week.

Follow on X: @TheBuckyReport | @BuckyReportJJ | @RajeevBadgers

#WisconsinFootball #Badgers #HunterSimmons #LukeFickell #OnWisconsin #B1GFootball

Help The Bucky Report get some feedback! We would appreciate any listeners taking this short 15 min survey to help us grow the show! http://bit.ly/thebuckyreport-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Badger Blueprint time — and we’re breaking down Wisconsin’s massive matchup with Michigan. Can the Badgers find a real path to victory? We’ll dive into our 3 Big Things (keys to the game), debate who’s going to start at quarterback for Wisconsin, and give you our score predictions for this critical Big Ten showdown.

From Michigan’s explosive run game to Wisconsin’s quarterback question, this preview has everything you need before kickoff. Can Luke Fickell’s team pull off the upset? We’ve got the blueprint.

Follow the show on Twitter: https://x.com/TheBuckyReport

Follow Rajeev on Twitter: https://x.com/RajeevBadgers

Follow Justin on Twitter: https://x.com/BuckyReportJJ

Help The Bucky Report get some feedback! We would appreciate any listeners taking this short 15 min survey to help us grow the show! http://bit.ly/thebuckyreport-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wisconsin football stands at a crossroads in 2025. After a rocky start under Luke Fickell, fans are asking the hard questions: where do the Badgers go from here, and what will it take to climb back on top of the Big Ten?

On today’s show, Justin Julka and special guest Ryan Harings break down the future of the program—what’s broken, what can still be fixed, and how Wisconsin can rebuild its identity. From quarterback struggles and offensive woes to defensive bright spots, recruiting battles, and the impact of NIL and the transfer portal, we’re covering it all.

This is the big-picture conversation Badger Nation needs right now: the path forward, the changes that must happen, and whether Luke Fickell is the man to lead Wisconsin back to national relevance.

Follow the show on Twitter: https://x.com/TheBuckyReport

Follow Rajeev on Twitter: https://x.com/RajeevBadgers

Follow Justin on Twitter: https://x.com/BuckyReportJJ

🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5349381712379904

Help The Bucky Report get some feedback! We would appreciate any listeners taking this short 15 min survey to help us grow the show! http://bit.ly/thebuckyreport-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.