Badgers news: Gus Yalden practicing after being cited twice by police

Prepare for an exciting showdown as the Wisconsin Badgers gear up to take on the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers this Friday. The Badgers are coming off a spectacular 105-76 victory against the Arkansas State Red Hawks and are eager to secure another win against a formidable opponent, aiming to improve their record to 2-0.

Leading up to the game, the Badgers had concerns about two of their players: injured Connor Essegian, and Gus Yalden, who was absent from the team due to a personal family matter.

Head coach Greg Gard revealed that Essegian’s status is day-to-day, as he participated in limited practice on Wednesday while mainly working with the team’s trainers.

Gard also provided an update on Yalden, noting his return to practice on Wednesday following his leave of absence

“Today is his first day back [since the days off],” Gard said on Wednesday. “Getting him back to practice I think is step one of what he is going through. So we’ll just continue to take that day by day too.”

“And now we’re into game prep mode so I’ve got pretty good idea of who I’m going to have on the floor. We’ll just keep walking forward with who’s going right now and catch him up to speed as we can.”

Yalden’s leave of absence was announced on November 1st, two days after receiving a citation for possession of marijuana on October 29th, marking his second offense within two months, as he was previously cited for underage drinking on September 2nd during the first football game of the season.

Following his return to practice, a UW spokesperson confirmed that Yalden would be on the bench Friday as he gets re-integrated into the team.