UCLA is just days away from joining the Big Ten. After 96 years and 123 national championships in the Pac-12, the Bruins are at the forefront of the Big Ten’s West Coast expansion. Prior to UCLA’s official move, Daily Bruin Sports will preview football, basketball and other top programs of each school.

Football
2023 record: 7-6, 5-4 Big Ten
Coach: Luke Fickell

Injuries from key players plagued Wisconsin football this past season.

But as those players return, the Badgers look ahead to a transformed Big Ten.

In head coach Luke Fickell’s first full season at Wisconsin in 2023, a 1-4 stretch in conference play left the Badgers at .500 after 10 games – but eventually, Fickell’s squad clinched back-to-back rivalry games at the season’s end.

Prior to joining the Badgers in November 2022, Fickell played and coached at Ohio State, a familiar Big Ten adversary.

Running back Chez Mellusi’s fractured fibula largely factored into the mid-season woes. Mellusi, who transferred from Clemson, ran 815 yards throughout his first season as a Badger in 2021. But after facing an injury in the fourth game of the season, the Florida-born senior was sidelined for the remainder of the season. Prior to his injury, he garnered 307 yards and four touchdowns.

Due to the injury being so early in the season, Mellusi was eligible for a sixth season – which he’ll spend with the Badgers.

Mellusi will be joined by safety Hunter Wohler, who had the second-most tackles in the Big Ten last season. His 120 tackles in 2023 – 74 solo – etched his name in the record books for the most tackles by a Badger defensive back since 1991, earning him first-team All-Big Ten honors.

Mellusi’s return and Fickell’s novel guidance could steer the Badgers back to their pre-injury selves.

Wisconsin will also welcome eight incoming four-star recruits.

Running back Dilin Jones was ranked 139th nationally by 247Sports and ESPN’s No. 6 running back in the 2024 class. Throughout his high school career, he rushed for over 1,300 yards and scored 18 total touchdowns in the WCAC, which is known for its toughness.

The Badgers also gain defensive lineman Ernest Willor Jr., who was ranked 120th nationally by 247Sports. Willor, who made 22 tackles and five sacks in the first five games of his high school senior season. At 6-foot-4, Willor’s height and strength may prove influential to Wisconsin’s defensive strategy.

With the return of key actors and a variety of incoming players, Wisconsin will have some choices to make in its lineups, with the opportunity to prove itself among new Big Ten members.

Men’s basketball
2023-2024 record: 20-15, 9-11 Big Ten
Coach: Greg Gard

This upcoming season will mark head coach Greg Gard’s decade-long commitment to Wisconsin men’s basketball.

The 2022 Naismith National Coach of the Year finalist has qualified for six of eight NCAA Tournaments as a tenured coach, appearing in consecutive Sweet Sixteens in the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons.

Gard led Wisconsin to Big Ten regular season championships in two of the last five seasons, earning Big Ten Coach of the Year in each of those campaigns.

Looking into the future, Gard said he hopes to sign three four-star recruits, all ranked within the top-100 nationally in the class of 2025, according to 247Sports. But for the upcoming season, the focus is on seven-foot Steven Crowl.

Last season, the forward reached the 1,000 career point mark – becoming the 49th Badger to hit the coveted target. Crowl averaged 11.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, making him the team’s second-leading scorer following guard AJ Storr.

Storr, who led the team with 605 points in the 2023-2024 season, earned Second Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors in 2024. He averaged 43.4% shooting from the field, compared to Crowl’s team-leading 55.6%.

Two incoming recruits in Daniel Freitag and Jack Robison will join the Storr-Crowl starting duo. Freitag is ranked the ninth-best point guard in the nation, according to 247Sports, and averaged 28.8 points and 9.9 rebounds during his junior season of high school. Robinson, on the other hand, is a 6-foot-6 three-star wing who averaged 16.8 points per game during his sophomore year of high school.

As the Big Ten expands to the West Coast, Gard will have the opportunity to make his decade anniversary season a memorable one.

Women’s soccer
2023-2024 record: 14-5-4, 7-2-1 Big Ten
Coach: Paula Wilkins

Paula Wilkins is the winningest coach in Wisconsin women’s soccer.

As she enters her 17th season, Wilkins has a pair of College Cup semifinal appearances and 13 NCAA tournament berths under her belt. With 298 wins through her Bagder stint, she ranks third all-time in the Big Ten, and has appeared in the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2018, 2019 and 2021.

But as the 2023-2024 season drew to a close, eligibility expired for two of her top players: reigning Big Ten Midfielder of the Year Emma Jaskaniec and All-Big Ten Team member Natalie Viggiano.

Jaskaniec and Viggiano’s departure has forced Wilkins to look to other players to continue her success.

After being named to the All-Big Ten Third Team and Freshman Team last season, defender Hailey Baumann was called up to the United States Women’s U-19 Youth National Team Training Camp.

The defensive stalwart started every game last season, alongside midfielder/defender Ashley Martinez. The dual-position athlete recorded three goals and three assists last season, with her final of the three scores being a game-winner against No. 4 Penn State in October.

When Martinez plays in the midfield, she is joined by Maddie Ishaug, who was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team last season. The returning midfielder played a team-high 2,070 minutes, scoring one goal and providing three assists.

While Wisconsin may be losing its top scorer in Jaskaniec, it still has a promising future in its returning roster.

And with eight incoming freshmen, the Badgers lineup will be redesigned alongside a redesigned Big Ten conference.