Football isn't the only school hot on the recruiting trail as Bo Ryan added his very first commitment to the 2014 recruiting class with the word coming from Ethan Happ. He's the first of what should be at least 4 if not 5 scholarships available in the 2014 class.

Haap had standing offers from two of Wisconsin's in state foes, Green Bay and Milwaukee and amongst the recruiting circles he has had a good spring and start to the summer that made him a rising quantity. 

Haap played his AAU ball for Quad City Elite and really ended his recruitment before it totally got off the ground in terms of offers from high major schools.

Ethan Haap Profile/Rankings: 

Position: Small Forward

Height: 6'7"

Weight: 190lbs.

Hometown/High School: Taylor Ridge, IL/Rockridge High School

Rankings: 

• 247sports: NR nationally, position, state
• ESPNRN: 3* (74 grade), #36 SF, #39 regional, #15 IL
• Rivals: 3*, NR nationally, position, or state
• Scout: NR

Thoughts & Video: 

Tell me if you've heard this story before about a Bo Ryan recruit - He wasn't highly recruited early on but began to rise just before signing with the Badgers. 

I know, I've heard that one quite a bit and adding this piece to the Badgers class could just be the foundation they need to a great class. Sure he may not have th stars or huge numbers, but how often are the ratings right or wrong? More often than not they aren't exactly dead on.

What I really like in him so far his his body type. He's already approaching 200lbs. before his Junior season and that bodes well for him coming in to Wisconsin with a body that's ready to contribute right away. 

Of course he can shoot from outside, but he's also got a very good back to the basket game for a small forward from what I'm told by those who've seen him in person.

Unfortunately there isn't any video on him as of yet, but if we find any we'll bring it to you via our Facebook page, so make sure you like it for those kind of exclusive updates.

Just less than 48 hours after landing a defensive lineman the Badgers earned commitment No. 10 for their 2013 class in the form of offensive line prospect Matt Miller. He becomes the third offensive lineman to commit to Wisconsin in this class.

Some services have him listed as a defensive end, but according to reports the Badgers have plans to use him along the offensive line instead. 

Wisconsin is having a summer full of quick commits as Miller was known to have bee offered just this past Sunday and made his commitment just a few days later. Miller camped at Ohio State in early June, but didn't receive an offer right away and visited Wisconsin just this past weekend. So, it's clear the campus and program made a huge impression on him right away.

Matt Miller Profile/Rankings: 

Position: OL

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 260lbs.

Hometown/High School: Toledo, OH/St. John's Jesuit

Rankings: 

• 247sports: 3* (86 grade), NR nationally, 36 (SDE though), 30th in OH
• ESPNRN: 3* (76 grade), #51 OG, #98 regional, #43 in OH
• Rivals: 3* (5.6 grade), NR nationally, 36 (OG), 49th in OH
• Scout: 3*, #31 OG

Thoughts & Video: 

Miller is a classic two way high school player, but Wisconsin is right in seeing his college future on the offensive line, just by watching his tape. He's a better prospect there than at his DE posisition in my book. 

He was a highly sought after prospect with offers from the likes of Boston College, Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Miami (FL & OH), Michigan State and more. He also had interest from Tennessee and Ohio State, so he's no slouch.

He's been steadily adding weight to his frame and if he can get to 275-280 by the end of his Senior season he will be well on his way to becoming another big Badger O-Lineman. It will be interesting to see if he is one of the kids that may become an early entrant because I think it would behove him in terms of better learning the position and getting on a weight and diet program at the University. Now, I'm not saying that will happen, but he could be a prime candidate for something like that.

Playing both sides of the ball Miller clearly has the athletic ability to be a pulling guard for Wisconsin, which is a trademark for any guard of the last 15 years or so. The one area of concern in watching his tape is something we see a lot of from guys at this level and it's that he plays too upright out of his stance. At the high school level you can get away with that sort of stuff because chances are you are bigger and stronger than the guy across from you, but at the collegiate level DT's will eat you up if you play like that.

Overall Miller is a prospect that I could see develop into a road grader type guard and be someone that surprises by the end of his career at Wisconsin.

Check out his tape from his Junior season below:

Wisconsin's 2013 recruiting class grew by one late yesterday as news broke that Iowa native Sam Raridon chose to commit to the Badgers, making it nine known commitments for Bielema and the Badgers. He's the second commitment along the defensive line in the class and could be a fine pick up for the future of the line.

His commitment came fast as the Badgers offered on June 17th and Wisconsin got the verbal just last night.

Sitting at nine already expect the Badgers to have about three or four more players to add to the program for the class. What's missing still? How about a QB and a RB, both positions Wisconsin have multiple offers out on and could see commitments throughout the summer from those positions.

This could be a classic case of the "under the radar" pick up for Wisconsin, but let's meet the newest Baby Badger together, Welcome Sam Raridon.

Raridon's Profile/Rankings: 

Position: Defensive Tackle

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 256lbs.

Hometown/High School: West Des Moines, IA/Valley High School

Rankings: 

• 247sport: No stars & not rated at all
• ESPNRN: 3*, #77 position, #142 regional, #3 state (IA)
• Rivals: 3*, NR national or position, #3 state (IA)
• Scout: 3*, #57 DT nationally

Thoughts & Video: 

Wisconsin has a nice commitment on it's hands despite what the rankings may say. Raridon comes to the Badgers from what has been the most prominent and dominant program in the state of Iowa - West Des Moines Vally. They regularly produce multiple BCS level players and Raridon wasn't exactly a totally unknown quantity in recruiting circles as he also had a known offer from the home state Hawkeyes along with interest from Iowa State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Purdue.

After seeing Raridon's video and studying what others have to say I think the Badgers have a total diamond in the rough. However, I think Raridon could be best suited to play at the DE position with his skill set. The only thing holding him back there could be his height, only standing 6'2" tall, probably about three or four inches too short. 

Raridon is a very athletic and strong DT already, running at 4.9sec 40yd dash and benching 345lbs. He plays very well with his hands, uses leverage, and sheds blocks well. Additionally he sees and has a feel for the game that's clearly ahead of most his age. I could be off, but his tape reminds me of current Badger, Brendan Kelly, in that the motor doesn't seem to stop and he finds a way to make plays no matter what's happening.

I wouldn't be surprised to see him become a force inside because he brings something that's so different to that position, but he should probably see a redshirt because he will need more weight if they keep him inside. 

For me Wisconsin has another recruiting coup on it's hands and you can judge for yourself here:

It's nearing July already and with that our focus is turning not only to the Olympics but the two time defending Big Ten Champion Badger football team. We were honored to be joined by Phil Steele LIVE on the show earlier today. If you missed it, what the heck? I know you guys can get up early, I've seen the tailgates going at 6am on a Saturday in the fall for crying out loud!!

Luckily we love our readers, so here's the episode for your listening pleasure. 

Don't forget for all you smart phone users out there, make life easy and download Stitcher - Smart Radio for your iPhone or android devices. It'll allow you to never have to manually update for our show & you'll never miss an episdoe. 

It has been reported that defensive tackle Sam Raridon from Iowa has orally committed to UW for the 2013 season. The 6’2, 256 pound member of the 2013 class was extended a scholarship offer from the Badgers after attending a high school camp in Madison last week.

Adam Rittenberg of espn.com discussed an interesting position on the Big Ten Blog on Monday. In his post, he brought up the blooming football rivalry between Wisconsin and Michigan State. Both the Badgers and the Spartans have been powers in the Big Ten in recent seasons while Michigan and Ohio State work to return to the top.

Olympic Trials are in full swing in a variety of sports and many current UW student athletes and alumni are among the participants. Former Wisconsin runner Matt Tegenkamp qualified for the United States men’s track and field team with a second place finish in the 10,000 meters on Friday. This marks the second consecutive time Tegenkamp has qualified for the games.

The U.S. Swimming and Diving Trials began on Monday and several with ties to UW will be vying for spots on the Olympic team. Five current men’s swimmers and 14 women’s swimmers will be representing the Badgers in Omaha, Neb.

Men’s swimmer Michael Weiss qualified sixth for the 400-meter IM finals which will air on the NBC Sports Network at 7 p.m. central time on Monday. The top-two qualifiers will make the Olympic team.

Women’s hockey head coach Mark Johnson is staying local with his newest recruit. Rachel Jones of Berlin, Wis. announced Thursday that she will be joining the UW women’s hockey team for the 2012-13 season. Jones, a forward, played her high school hockey for the Madison Capitiols.

Overall it was a pretty successful weekend for current and former Badgers as the U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials got underway. The weekend featured former Badger Matt Tegenkamp earning his second straight trip to the Olympic games as he finished 2nd in the 10,000 meters on Friday, the opening night of the trials. 

Hear him in his own words after earning his birth right here: 

Watch more videos on Flotrack

Tegenkamp ran the 5000 meters for the USA in the 2008 Beijing games and stepped up the distance just four year later, running for Oregon Club Elite. 

It was an underdog performance to say the least as he wasn't one of the favorites in the event, yet he joined winner Galen Rupp (also of Oregon Club Elite) in breaking the previous trials record. Tagenkamp ran 27:33.94 to place second, finishing 8 seconds behind Rupp, but 3 seconds ahead of 3rd place finisher Dathan Ritzenhein.

The Badgers could end up with two runners in the 10,000 meters at the Olympics should Mohammed Ahmed make the Canadian team during his run on Wednesday.

Over the weekend the Decathlon was also contested and it was a sight to see if you had the chance to watch, as two Badgers competed in the event that saw winner Ashton Eaton break the World Record in the event scoring 9,039 points to take the win. Former Badger and 2007 NCAA Outdoor Decathlon champion, Joe Detmer finished just out of a spot in 4th with 7,931 points. In David Grzesiak's first attempt at a U.S. National Championship the senior finished 13th (4th amongst collegiate participants) with 7,009 points.

The vast majority of Badgers competing at the trials will see competition heating up this week as finals go off in most events over this coming weekend. We'll be here to cover it all, so check back here and follow us on Twitter as we update when information breaks all week long.

Welcome back to the world of the MTB College Sports Bucket List where the games and events all matter and you may just learn a thing or two about what true college sports fandom is all about. We're on to another event you may have no idea about, but you really should!

No. 58: CIAA Basketball Tournament (D2 Basketball): 

Quick, name the top three attended basketball tournaments in the country? I'm guessing you've got two real quick in the Big East tournament and the ACC tournament, but I'm guessing that you also wouldn't know the third if you weren't reading this feature because it's the D2 CIAA tournament which attracted over 200,000 fans to Charlotte last season. It's not only a huge fan event, but some great basketball being played.

The CIAA is the oldest HBCU (Historically Black College or University) conference in the country and it has only one college (Chowan State) that isn't a HBCU. In the past this tournament was also featured as part of ESPN's coverage of Championship Week. 

What makes this such a hugely attended event? Well the CIAA has billed it as a huge "reunion" of sorts because it's not just all about the basketball. There are huge parties, celebs galore, and even a fashion event all tied to the basketball game.

Sure some people may show up for all the other things surrounding the basketball, but don't get it twisted, the basketball is just as good as what's happening around the venue - with Charlotte currently hosting through 2014.

What also makes this conference unique is it's provided some great talent to the NBA including the likes of Earl "The Pearl" Monroe (Winston-Salem State), Ben Wallace (Virginia Union), Charles Oakley (Virginia Union), and more.

The conference has also been very competitive for years on the national level with five D2 National Championships along with two more national runner-ups. Virginia Union, the school most famous for producing Ben Wallace, has 3 national titles with the latest coming in 2005 (also finished runner up in '06). Winston-Salem State and former member North Carolina Central also have won D2 Championships and St. Augustine's was the runner up in 1984.

The mixture of events surrounding the tournament as well as the quality of basketball on the court makes this an event you shouldn't miss and the increasing numbers of people attending the tournament on a yearly basis show that it's only continuing to grow into a must see event and for that they land pretty high on our list for a non-D1 event.

Wisconsin men's hockey uphed its reputation of creating quality pro prospects on Saturday when two current men’s hockey players and one incoming player were selected in this weekend’s National Hockey League Draft.

Incoming freshman forward Nicolas Kerdiles was the first Badger off the board when he was selected in the second round, No. 36 overall by the Anaheim Ducks. The Irvine, Calif. native, who lives a short distance from the Honda Center where the Ducks call home, was the leading scorer on the USA U-18 team that brought home the gold at the 2012 IIHF World Championships.

Defenseman Jake McCabe was selected later in the second round when the Buffalo Sabres picked him with the 44^th overall pick. McCabe is coming off a freshman campaign that got off to a late start due to a hand injury. He finished the season with three goals and nine assists in 26 games.

With the addition of McCabe, 13 Badgers have now been selected in the first or second round of the draft during the tenure of head coach Mike Eaves. Of the previous 12 players, only Blake Geffrion has donned the white and cardinal sweater for all four seasons of eligibility.

Brendan Woods also got the call on Saturday when he was picked up by the Carolina Hurricanes in the fifth round, No. 129 overall. The soon to be sophomore forward skated in 34 games and tallied five goals and five assists.

Woods has stated that he plans to return to UW next season.

Last season, 22 former Badgers skated in at least one NHL game. Only Michigan had more alumni (23) in the league.

It's 2012 USA Track & Field Olympic Team Trials time as they get underway today and Wisconsin will be well represented as 15 athletes with ties to the Badgers program will be involved this weekend. There's actually 16 Badgers with chances of London glory on their minds as Mohammed Ahmed competes in the Candadian trials as well. 

Here are the list of Badger qualifiers according to a release by USA Track & Field as well as the Badger Athletic Department: 

There's an old saying: "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Well, this is our attempt to do that as every Friday we'll give you the best in news and commentary from the Big Ten blogosphere. If you ever have a story worthy of this feature on the site by all means, hit the contact button on the menu and send it to us, we can't always find everything after all!

Having said all of that, let's get right into it, shall well?

The gang over at Crimson Quarry took a look back at one of the most courageous HC's in Big Ten history - Terry Hoeppner, who passed away five years ago this week. It's a great piece and got me wondering where the Hoosiers would be had he not passed away, after-all they were on their way up before his passing.

It also seems as though the ghost of Kelvin Sampson won't let go at Assembly Hall either, as the damage he did is still being undone, this time in the classroom.

What a strange week it's been for Penn State as the Jerry Sandusky Trial heads to the Jury room, yet what could be a vital piece of information will never be known by the guys and gals on the jury.

More after the jump...