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Big Ten Roundup (July 5): Mulcahy Transfers to Washington, Wisconsin Lands 4-Star Recruits

Four-year Rutgers' basketball player Paul Mulcahy announced he's transferring to Washington for his final year of eligibility, while Wisconsin landed two commitments from four-star prospects Omillio Agard and Emerson Mandell on the football field. In his NBA Summer League debut, Northwestern's Chase Audige scored 18 points.

Daniel Olinger

Big Ten Roundup (July 5): Mulcahy Transfers to Washington, Wisconsin Lands 4-Star Recruits
Big Ten Roundup (July 5): Mulcahy Transfers to Washington, Wisconsin Lands 4-Star Recruits /
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Rutgers and Northwestern historically haven't been the Big Ten's most prestigious basketball programs, but both saw prominent former players make headlines this week, with Paul Mulcahy transferring to Washington and the spectacular performance of Chase Audige for the Miami Heat in the California Classic this past week. 

In football news, Wisconsin and first-year coach Luke Fickell continued their impressive recruiting streak, picking up 2024 commitments from four-star cornerback Omillio Agard and four-star offensive linemen Emerson Mandell.

Here's everything you need to know in today's Big Ten Roundup:

Paul Mulcahy Transferring to Washington

Rutgers guard Paul Mulcahy played 121 games for the Scarlet Knights over the course of four years, and started in 81 out of 90 games played in the past three years. 

All of his production and experience is heading from one coast to another now, as on Wednesday, Mulcahy announced his commitment to play at Washington next season. Mulcahy will join coach Mike Hopkins and the Huskies as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility. 

Mulcahy is the fifth player Rutgers has lost from its 2022-23 team due to a mass exodus to the transfer portal. 

Veteran sharpshooter Cam Spencer left Piscataway, N.J. after one year to join the defending national champion UConn Huskies. Additionally, Jalen Miller (Oral Roberts), Dean Reiber (Charlotte) and Oskar Palmquist (Elon) transferred out of the program. Mulcahy and Spencer were top-five scorers for Rutgers, while Miller, Reiber and Palmquist played more limited roles off the bench.

Coach Steve Pikiell's team also loses two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Caleb McConnell, who exhausted his college eligibility this past season and is now playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA Summer League team. 

Mulcahy was one of the Big Ten's most polarizing players, beloved by some for his gritty defense and heady playmaking, and despised by others for his on-court antics and physical play. He was ingrained into the identity of the Rutgers' men's basketball program, and now takes that persona across the country to the Pac-12 for one final year of college basketball.

Wisconsin Lands Two 2024 Four-Star Prospects

The Badgers landed their fourth and fifth four-star prospects of the 2024 recruiting class this past week with the commitments of cornerback Omillio Agard and Emerson Mandell. 

Wisconsin currently holds the 26th best team recruiting class for 2024, per 247 Sports. Mandell is the fifth offensive lineman from the class of 2024 to commit to the Badgers, joining fellow four-star recruit Kevin Heywood.

Agard, ranked No. 352 in the nation, is the second defensive back from the 2024 class to commit to Wisconsin.

Head coach Luke Fickell made waves in the transfer portal, on the recruiting trail, and in the coach hiring process by bringing on North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo. With two more high-profile commitments, it doesn't look like Fickell and the Badgers will be slowing down anytime soon. 

Chase Audgie Dominant in NBA Summer League

The Miami Heat franchise has become famous for its ability to develop undrafted basketball talents into useful NBA players, and it might have just found another one in Chase Audige. 

The three-year Northwestern standout and reigning Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Year racked up 18 points in just over 20 minutes of playing time on Monday. He shot 4-for-7 from three and 6-for-9 overall. 

Audige is one of three former Northwestern basketball players participating in NBA Summer League, with his former 2021-22 teammate Elyjah Williams playing for the Orlando Magic, and former four-year Wildcat turned North Carolina Tar Heel Pete Nance playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Related Stories on Big Ten Sports:

  • B1G TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER: Welcome to our Big Ten men's basketball transfer portal tracker, where we'll keep you updated on the latest incoming and outgoing transfer news for all 14 Big Ten teams this offseason. CLICK HERE
  • B1G ALUMNI IN SUMMER LEAGUE: A total of 43 former Big Ten basketball players can be watched this year during NBA Summer League action. Here's our full list breaking it down. CLICK HERE
  • B1G RECRUITING NEWS: Purdue landed a four-star talent, while Michigan State earned a commitment from the son of a well-known NFL quarterback. CLICK HERE
  • IOWA BASKETBALL OFFSEASON EVALUATION: In the second of his series on evaluating the offseasons of every men's basketball team in the Big Ten, Jack Ankony takes a look at the Iowa Hawkeyes. CLICK HERE
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Daniel Olinger
DANIEL OLINGER

Daniel Olinger is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation reporter for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Northwestern University with degrees in both journalism and economics. 

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