{image1}With the election and World Series behind us, we can turn our attention to hoops, hockey, soccer and other indoor sports in November.
The Bucks open at home Saturday night against LeBron James and Cleveland. Another highlight of the month will come Nov. 17, when the Miami Heat, which now includes Shaquille O'Neal as well as former Marquette star Dwyane Wade, comes to town.
College hoops also start in November. The UW Badgers start the season with some intra-state games against smaller colleges. They play Parkside on Nov. 10 and UW-Platteville, on Nov. 16.
Marquette opened with an exhibition against Lewis Wednesday night. The Golden Eagles play Stevens Point Nov. 9 and host the BCA Classic Nov. 14-16.
UWM played a team called the World Basketball Stars Wednesday night and will play another exhibition against Lawrence on Nov. 10.
All three teams figure to be very competitive once again. The Badgers have been ranked 20th in pre-season polls, despite the loss of All-American Devin Harris to the NBA. Look for a preview of state college basketball in next Thursday's Weekend Sports Buzz.
The Admirals already have started defending their American Hockey League championship. Highlight games of the month include Friday's contest against Interstate-94 rivals, the Chicago Wolves, and a big Saturday night game on Nov. 13 against the Houston Aeros.
In soccer, the Wave also already started its regular season. Home games in November include Kansas City on Nov. 16, Cleveland on Nov. 13 and Monterrey on Nov 19.
The sale of the Brewers to L.A. investor Mark Attanasio also should become official in November. Major League Baseball owners have to approve the transaction, which is considered a lock. They meet Nov. 17 in Chicago.
Once Attanasio takes over, the Brewers' baseball budget should be set, and we'll see how much money GM Doug Melvin will have to pursue talent.
The Name Game
Matt Kenseth of Cambridge won an IROC race in Atlanta last weekend and in the process clinched the series championship ... Four Wave players, Todd Dusosky, Greg Howes, Johnny Torres and Pat White, will join coach Keith Tozer on the U.S. team in the FIFA Futsal World Championships in Chinese Taipei Nov. 21-Dec. 5 ... Ben Chartier rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns to lead Waukesha West to a 21-7 win over Whitefish Bay in WIAA playoffs ... Jason McClelland ran for 263 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead St. Francis to a 49-7 win over Lomira ... Brewers' TV play-by-play man Daron Sutton will call UWM basketball games on WMLW.
Beyond Milwaukee Sports
As the prep football season entered playoffs, here are some of the top performers around the state in the regular season: Rushing: Paul Nelson, Dodgeland, 1961 yards in 241 carries; Receiving: Tim Deviley, Green Bay West, 880 yards on 67 receptions and Dane Laack, Wonewoc Center, 811 yards on 67 receptions; Passing: Alec Halstead, Milwaukee Lutheran, 213 of 376 for 2,739 yards and 20 touchdowns ... Nick Ohman gained 347 yards passing and 125 running to lead Stout to a 31-21 upset over La Crosse in WIAC football ... ESPN might pull the Great Outdoors Games out of Madison after one year because of dispute over compensation for the event, which drew a record 69,000 people last summer.
Hot Tix
While winter sports heat up in November, some fall sports continue. The Badgers return from a bye week to host Minnesota at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Camp Randall. The Badgers are on a quest for an undefeated season.
Small college football continues. The three teams tied for the lead with 3-2 records in the WIAC are in action. Eau Claire travels to Stout. Whitewater goes to Oshkosh. La Crosse hosts River Falls.
St. Norbert brings an undefeated Midwest Conference record into its regular season finale Saturday, a home game against Lake Forest.
Playoffs are being held in prep football and other sports. Football finals are in Madison Nov. 18-19.
The Packers are off this weekend and resume action Nov. 14, hosting the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field.
Turning back to those indoor winter sports, the Bucks' opener is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Bradley Center.
The Admirals game against the Wolves Friday starts at 7 p.m. at the Bradley Center. The Wave's contest against KC Saturday is at 6:05 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Arena.
Remember, you can come back to the Sports Buzz column to see brief updates whenever significant local sports news happens. Updates are added at the end of this column.
