Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/242551
O THE VOICE BY MATT LEPAY // VOICE OF THE BADGERS Times have changed on court for Badgers 18 n Tuesday night in Bloomington, Ind., we had a chance to witness one of several things separating college basketball from the NBA. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy both levels of this great sport, but at Assembly Hall, a game in the middle of January ― game No. 4 in the Big Ten Conference, had the atmosphere you might see in a championship setting. Court storming in the middle of the regular season? Sure, why not? Badgers fans have done it, and this week it was done at the Badgers expense. While the month of March matters the most, college hoops certainly can give you good theatre much earlier. Credit Indiana. The Badgers had built a 10-point lead in the second half, but the Hoosiers rallied, led by sophomore Yogi Ferrell. The quick point guard excelled at attacking the rim, as did freshman Stanford Robinson and, at times, senior Will Sheehey. A disappointing ending for the Badgers, but a terrific basketball game to watch, and perhaps an even better learning experience for Wisconsin. After the Badgers' victory at Virginia in December, UW freshman guard Bronson Koenig said the Cavaliers' home crowd was the loudest he had ever heard as a player. I suggested that evening's volume level would be a preview of coming attractions. Now, Koenig, Nigel Hayes and all of the other younger Badgers have first-hand experience of life // VARSITY January 16, 2014 on the road in this conference. After Saturday's Kohl Center matchup with Michigan (Badgers fans are encouraged to exercise their vocal cords to support the home team), Bo Ryan's group heads to Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Anyone who has ever been to The Barn knows that old joint holds noise extremely well. A few days later, the Badgers play Purdue at Mackey Arena, another place that can give you a headache. On and on it goes. Of course, not every building in the league is known for its raucous atmosphere, but in the next few weeks the Badgers road show will take them into most of the Big Ten's best ― and most hostile ― facilities. Do not be fooled by opposing coaches or others in the regional or national media who refer to the Badgers as a veteran-dominated team. Yes, Ben Brust and Josh Gasser have been around a block a few times, but Sam Dekker is a yearand-a-half into his college career. Traevon Jackson continues to grow in his second season as Wisconsin's starting point guard. Frank Kaminsky's role is vastly different from a year ago. Duje Dukan is getting more run in the guts of games than at any time in his college career, while Koenig and Hayes are getting their first run ― period. Yes, teams such as Kentucky can have special seasons with a ton of freshmen and other inexperienced players, but that is not necessarily how Wisconsin rolls. Around here, experience matters, and the Badgers gained some valuable knowledge this week in southern Indiana. One other thing. At one point, Indiana had beaten Wisconsin 31 straight times. I had a pretty good seat for nearly half of those games. A couple of days ago, the Badgers 12 game run against IU ended, and the crowd rushed the court. The last time Indiana beat Wisconsin in Bloomington was 2007. The crowd rushed the court. How times have changed. But enough about Indiana. They will meet again on Feb. 25. In the meantime, bring on Michigan.