WISCONSIN GETS GRUDEN, ROTHERING State Journal Staff 1/16/95 Along with its victory over nationally ranked Colorado College this weekend, the University of Wisconsin collected two verbal committments from defensemen. Tim Rothering, a former Madison Edgewood athlete who has spent the last two season as an all-star defenseman in two Canadian junior leagues, and Luke Gruden, the captain of the Green Bay Gamblers of the U.S. Hockey League, have both said they will attend UW next season. Rothering, the son of former Edgewood coach Steve Rothering, is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound defenseman who was named to the British Columbia Junior League all-star team while playing for Kelowna. After leaving Edgewood, Rothering played for Kimberly and was named an all-star in the Rocky Mountian Junior League. Gruden, whose brother John plays for the Boston Bruins and was an all-American at Ferris State, is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound right-handed defenseman from Hastings, Minn. National Collegiate Athletic Associaton rules prohibit UW coaches from commenting on recruits until after they sign nation letters of intent in April. UW has to replace 4 graduating defenseman. Gruden and Rothering are the first recruits that have committed to the Badgers.