The Wisconsin Sports Rant

Congrats to the Badgers on actually getting some hardware this year. They took home the conference and tournament championships. But when it really counted, this season ended almost exactly as last year did…losing in embarrassing fashion to a much lower seed because they couldn’t stop one guy. It is hard to talk badly about a team that went 31-5, but the disappointment is as intolerable and unpalatable as it was not making the Sweet Sixteen last season. I read through my previous posts about how great and balanced this team is, and how their defense would allow them to beat anyone. Not so much. It was sickening to listen to all the Cinderella garbage by the commentators. CBS and the NCAA can go have their fun with the sweetheart team that is more sexy than Wisconsin. There is not much else to say right now. Time to move on to the next sports season so we can watch some other team fail to win a championship.

Just as a side note: Marquette did not make it as far as Wisconsin, but their loss was infinitely more uplifting and acceptable.

I have a suggestion for a new Babcock Hall ice cream flavor: Double Champion-chip. This under-appreciated, under-respected, highly successful Wisconsin Badgers basketball team staged a tremendous comeback on Saturday to beat Michigan State, and then methodically dispatched Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament Championship game to prove without dispute that they are the Big Ten’s top team. I learned something both in and about Indianapolis this weekend. In Indianapolis, I learned that unlike the other NCAA tournament-bound teams from the conference, Wisconsin did not wilt under pressure. They played their game, and though Michigan State, led by Drew Neitzel, almost knocked the Badgers off, the outstandingly clutch play of Michael Flowers and Marcus Landry prevented that from happening. The Badgers did what they have done all year, which is find ways to win. Sunday’s championship game was interesting for the first 10 minutes, but Wisconsin was just the better team. They rebounded well, played good defense, and hit the three ball, putting and keeping distance between the Illini and themselves. What did I learn about Indianapolis? More on that later…

For just a moment, I would like to return to a less positive time for the Badgers. Going into the 2006 tournament, Wisconsin had been fading fast. They had lost Marcus Landry and Greg Stiemsma at the beginning of the semester, and everything had been going south since that point. Limping into the tournament, the Badgers were destroyed by Arizona. I thought that Michael Flowers would never be more than a decent role player, and certainly never thought much of his offense. I didn’t know whether we would even get Stiemsma back. I didn’t know whether Landry would amount to much either. I have to admit up front, I was dead wrong about these guys. Give credit to them for their tireless work, and to Bo Ryan for molding them into a formidable team. Flowers has become a defensive stopper, an offensive spark, and a true team leader. Stiemsma has become a huge contributor on both ends of the court as well, even a threat to hit the shot from 18 feet. Landry has some terrific moves in the post, and can come out of nowhere to block what would have been a sure layup. I’ve said it all year long, as have many other people: these guys have developed into a true team.

Wisconsin has lost to exactly three teams this year. All three are ranked in the top 20. Barring a ridiculous upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament next week, they will win 30 games for the second year in a row, and only the second time in school history. Anyone who doubts this team is an elite program is just plain wrong at this point. Flair, flash, glitz…these adjectives may not describe Wisconsin basketball; but I have a few words that mean more: winners, conference champions, conference tournament champions.

So what did I learn about Indianapolis on Sunday? I learned that in this city, where the NCAA and thus, its basketball tournament selection committee is based, there must be some truly premium quality crack on the streets. How else can one explain said committee’s decision to bestow only a 3 seed on a team that went 29-4, won its regular season and tournament conference championships, beat Texas in Austin (a team they made a number 2 seed), and whose only losses were to teams that finished in the top 16? I totally understand that when you get into the 2 and 3 seeds, there isn’t a lot of difference in the draws, but it shows a total lack of respect for this program. You can tell from the brackets that this committee holds little regard for the Big Ten as a whole, as Indiana dropped to an 8 seed, Purdue dropped all the way to a 6 seed, and Ohio State didn’t even get in. It’s ironic that Michigan State is the only team from the Big Ten that was put exactly where they belonged in terms of seed. I think that if Wisconsin plays their game, and doesn’t suffer an extended period of offensive drought, they should defintely be playing through to at least the second weekend. Still, I feel this seeding is simply unfair. Look at two of the teams that got a 2 seed ahead of the Badgers: One is the aforementioned Longhorns of Texas (again, a team Wisconsin beat on their home court), and the other is Georgetown, who didn’t win their conference tournament title, losing to an unranked (albeit hot) Pittsburgh team. Despite this one negative from today, it was an overwhelmingly positive weekend for the Wisconsin Badgers. I will savor the tournament championship, and look forward to next week as the Badgers begin their quest for the ultimate prize. Maybe the the folks over in the agriculture school should hold off on that new flavor. After all, Triple Champion-chip sounds a whole lot tastier.

Wisconsin began their post-season as they finished the regular one – with defense. They set the tournament record by holding Michigan to thirty-four points. I honor that achievement with the length of this post.

There would be absolutely no let down this day. The Wisconsin Badgers, after dispatching the feisty Northwestern Wildcats 65-52, and posting a gaudy 16-2 conference record, are kings of the Big Ten once again. Not unlike the Green Bay Packers unexpected 13-3 season, the Wisconsin men’s team surprised most by plowing through all but one Big Ten school (we’ll get you yet Purdue!) and finishing strong against Penn State and Northwestern. At 26-4, I firmly believe this team has earned a place at the table reserved for 1 and 2 seeds. The losses by Stanford, Xavier (earlier in the week), and even Duke can only help UW. I continue to be amazed at how complete this team is when they play their game. Conference tournaments are always unpredictable, as bubble teams clearly have more motivation to play their best. Still, I think Wisconsin will treat the upcoming weekend as they have games all year long…that is, they will be methodical in their execution, and dispatch the competition simply by playing a better game. This is the perfect time of the year to be playing your best basketball, and if this season’s body of work is any evidence, they may still be getting better.

So congratulations to you, Badgers. It is no small accomplishment to win 16 out of 18 games against your conference foes. down year or not. Keep working hard, and keep making your fans proud. Let’s Go Red!

Continuing the thank yous for today, I would like to extend one to the cagers in Columbus, OH. The chips are falling into place for the Badgers, which is a somewhat scary thought (that’s just when things seem to go wrong for Wisconsin sports fans). After a highly entertaining game, Ohio State, desperate for a win to push themselves towards an NCAA tournament birth (and possibly thrilled at the offer of some free chaw), defeated Purdue, thereby leaving Wisconsin all alone in first place in the Big Ten. A quiet confidence should permeate the Wisconsin locker room through the rest of the week. There is no such thing as a gimmie game in college basketball, something of which Wisconsin should be painfully aware. Also, as I mentioned in a post last week, the Badgers don’t have the most stellar mark in Evanston. But this is a mature and talented Wisconsin team that should not lay an egg at home versus Penn State or in the aforementioned Welsh-Ryan arena. The opportunity is there for the taking, and this team is ready to take it.

What a game for Wisconsin. They may not be an offensive powerhouse, but man can they play some defense. Keyed by Michael Flowers’ superb effort against Drew Neitzel, the entire Badgers team gave the Michigan State Spartans no place to go with the ball. It seemed that almost every shot the Spartans took was a difficult one. The Badgers got through picks, cut off driving lanes, only committed 9 personal fouls (as usual), and simply kept the ball in front of them the whole game. Meanwhile, on offense, they rode a mini hot streak by Brian Butch in the second half to put the game away down the stretch. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the school record of only ONE turnover the entire game. Think about that. ONE TURNOVER. That is an amazing feat at any level of basketball. Mix those elements together, and you have a quality win against a tough opponent late in the season. At this point Wisconsin is in prime position to claim at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title, and perhaps with a few Big Ten Tournament wins, a second straight 2 seed. I don’t want to put the cart before the horse though. Sure, they end with games against Penn State and Northwestern, but UW has a history of laying an egg in Welsh-Ryan arena. While I can’t imagine it happening next week, I have never been able to imagine it, so let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves here.

Still, this Badgers team continues to show the value of quality team play from the coach on down. It’s ironic that as good as the Badgers were last year, the 2008 edition might have a better chance at playing deep into March.

Bucks blow a 17 point lead and lose to the Knicks

Overrated Marquette loses to Notre Dame

And the Badgers lose to Purdue…AT HOME

This, my friends, is not how I would have hoped Saturday would turn out. The first two items are definitely annoying, but not shocking. The third is. The Badgers have now been swept by a team that has proven to be underrated; yet this should still not have happened. The seasoned, veteran team that Wisconsin is should not be giving up 72 points on their home court. That is not Wisconsin basketball. The irony of my conversation with one of my friends before the game was thick. We talked about how this is a great “team” because they don’t have a single superstar, and they really don’t lose unless multiple guys have bad nights. What is even more disturbing than losing at home is losing a game that meant first place in the Big Ten. Now Wisconsin drops to into third, and has two losses on the record to the team in first. A date in Bloomington looms this week as well, so we may be looking at a 2 game losing streak. All I can say is this was a very disappointing evening.

Tonight we saw a Wisconsin Badger basketball team prove that a good defense beats a good offense. The high-scoring Indiana Hoosiers arrived notching nearly 75 points per game this year, and yet, couldn’t even get 50. That is a testament to how well the Badgers rotated, contained, rebounded, and generally frustrated Indiana’s offense for all but about 7 minutes in the 2nd half. Eric Gordon did have a spurt that, along with D.J. White’s powerful inside game, helped cut a 20 point lead to 5, but the Badgers righted the ship in time, holding the Hoosiers to only 6 more points the rest of the way. When Wisconsin puts on a defensive show as they did in this game, they are very tough to beat. Joe Krabbenhoft was a rebounding and hustle machine, providing the plays that kept the Badgers ahead when it counted. Trevon Hughes ran the offense very well, even showing some flash with an excellent around the back pass to Michael Flowers for an easy two. Wisconsin put themselves back in a four way tie for first place in the Big Ten, while defending their home turf yet again. This was a big win, and seems to reaffirm that they are right where they belong.

If the Badgers learn anything from this game, though, it is that no matter how well things are going, you need to play your game for the full 40 minutes. It got a little close for comfort in the 2nd half, and mostly that was because they had stopped executing their swing offense during Indiana’s run. It is not often that a team of Indiana’s caliber goes an entire game without some sort of run. As long as Wisconsin keeps playing solid defense and doesn’t get complacent on offense, they should be able to hang in there with almost anyone.

A tough game looms at Williams arena this weekend. Minnesota should be taken seriously, especially at home. Tubby Smith has them playing well, and they are fighting for their tournament lives with every game. Hopefully Wisconsin won’t suffer through a poor performance as they did this past weekend at Purdue, and will come out ready to play.

[The Ranter's note: I am not in denial about the end of the Packers season last week (anymore), but I am also not ready to write a meaningful post about it]

For a team trying to identify itself as pretender or contender, the Wisconsin Badgers made a huge statement on Saturday with a hard-earned, well-played victory. Of course, the ending will forever show that Michael Flowers made the two biggest plays of the game, a three pointer for the lead and a steal and heave that prevented Texas from even getting another chance at scoring. Yet one cannot discount the outstanding play of Brian Butch. The big senior scored 21 points and had 11 rebounds, and provided a stabilizing presence for the team. He could have solidified his player-of-the-game status had he nailed the two free throws late in the game, but it all worked out in the end. Key contributions from Jason Bohannon, Joe Krabbenhoft, and Marcus Landry also proved that with their leading scorer (Trevon Hughes) unexpectedly unavailable, the team pulled together and found success. The amount of confidence this win can potentially give the Badgers going into the Big Ten season is extraordinary. If they can build on this win, good things are in store for this team.

The other point I would make about the game is that come selection time, if Wisconsin is on the bubble (which they shouldn’t be), a win like this is huge. This was a victory against a top 10 team on the road. To think that this hasn’t been done by a UW team since 1980, even with all the excellent teams of the last 10 years proves that this was a pretty impressive accomplishment.

All this being said, it is still only a single win. It will mean nothing if the Badgers don’t continue to improve and put themselves in the upper echelon of the Big Ten conference. Somehow, with this kind of heart, and one of the best coaches in college basketball, I don’t see that happening.

The Marquette-Wisconsin rivalry provided a highly entertaining game last night at the Kohl Center. It had some great offense (late first half), great defensive intensity, drama, and even a bit of a scuffle. This is the first year of the rivalry that I was honestly disappointed with the result. I am usually just satisfied with the game, and am happy for the team that wins. But this game left the same aftertaste in my mouth that the Seattle-Green Bay game of 1999 in Lamnbeau Field did. Wisconsin had this amazing, nearly TWO YEAR winning streak at home, and had it snapped largely because of poor free throw shooting. Just like Holmgren’s return in 1999, it was hard to take a home loss when it had been so long since the last one. Marquette proved, however, that they are a team to be reckoned with. They were able to out-rebound the much bigger Badgers, and grab a few more loose balls. The guards played very well, but it was the play of Ousman Barro and Dwight Burke that surprised. The Golden Eagles scored 44 points in the paint, and seemed to get a ton of offensive boards. On the other side, losing at home wasn’t the only rarity out of Wisconsin. They committed 18 turnovers, something that it would take them nearly 3 games to do last season. They also left 10 points on the table by shooting only 15-25 from the charity stripe. Statistics like this will make it very difficult for a team like Wisconsin to win when they lack the explosive presence provided by Alando Tucker last year. Still, the game may have been a positive in the long run for both teams. Marquette should now believe they can go into any arena and come away with a victory. Wisconsin should have regained a lot of confidence that they can hang with a good team, something they may have lost after being blown out against Duke. Overall, it was good to see both teams provide great effort and a highly entertaining matchup on national TV. Both teams should continue to do so as the season goes on.