Varsity - The Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics

Varsity - March 20, 2014

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14 // VARSITY March 20, 2014 BY MIKE LUCAS // UWBADGERS.COM LUCAS AT LARGE F rank Kaminsky probably doesn't remember Ryan Evans hitting his first four shots ― or Jared Berggren blocking four ― in the first half of Wisconsin's open- ing 2012 NCAA tournament game against Montana. But he hasn't forgotten his introduction to the Big Dance as a freshman. It lasted one minute. "Wow, first (NCAA) game I ever got in, and I was so nervous," Ka- minsky said. "They had a 3-point shooting big man (Derek Selvig) and he shot-faked me and I just stood there and watched as he went right past me. It was one of the most nervous (times) I've ever been in a basketball game." And he was subbed out immedi- ately. Kaminsky ended up playing two more minutes in the second half of UW's 73-49 win. Two days later, the No. 4-seeded Badgers advanced to the Sweet 16 with a hard-earned 60-57 victory over No. 5 seed Vanderbilt at the fabled "Pit" in Albuquerque, N.M. Doubling his playing time, Kaminsky began feeling more comfortable until he got into the Syracuse game. "You grew up hear- ing about him (Jim Boeheim) and seeing him on the sideline," he said, "and now you're actually playing against his team and you're hearing him yell at people. It was cool." The 'Cuse held off the Badgers, 64-63, in Boston. During his 10 minutes on the court, Kaminsky got a taste of what it was like to be matched against a No. 1 seed in the second weekend of the tournament. Last March, he also played only 10 minutes in a first game loss to Mis- sissippi in Kansas City. So, how will his limited postsea- son experience (29 minutes) and production (2 points, 7 rebounds) impact him, if at all, against Ameri- can University? If nothing else, it should underline how far he has come, and how much he has devel- oped and improved over his first three years. "I would say the loss last year helped me more than those first three games did," Kaminsky said. "Losing that first game isn't any fun. Being upset like we were last year was a terrible feeling. "It's just one of those sad mo- ments where you spend two years of your life with the seniors who were in that (locker) room and then it's all over after one game in the tournament. It was a tough one." Kaminsky, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, enters the 2014 NCAA Tournament as one of the breakthrough players in college basketball. He has scored 20 or more points in four of the last eight games, including 25 against Michi- gan and 28 against Michigan State last Saturday in Indianapolis. Nobody may be more excited about taking on an expanded post- season role than the 7-foot junior. "In high school, I'd skip lunch and study hall and just go into a room and watch NCAA games," said Ka- minsky, who attended Benet Acad- emy in Lisle, Ill. "My whole life has been that way." As such, he still marvels at what Stephen Curry was able to do for No. 10 seed Davidson in the 2008 tourney. Curry scored 40 on No. 7 Gonzaga, 30 on No. 2 Georgetown and 33 on No. 3 Wisconsin (he outscored UW, 22-20, in the second half ) before No. 1 Kansas ended the storybook run. The Badgers had one of their own to start this season by going 16-0. But they also hit the skids, los- ing five of the next six. "It has been a lot of ups and downs," Kaminsky said. "We realize that at any mo- ment if you let up for 10 minutes, it could be over, especially now that it's put-up or shut-up time." The UW players have shown their resiliency while learning how to take the good and great with the bad. "It's all part of our identity," said Kaminsky, who's anticipating a lot of family and friends at the Bradley Center since it's only about an hour from home. "Hopefully our fans will show up in bunches." Kaminsky can promise one thing: the Badgers will show up and not take anyone lightly. "At any point, any team can beat anyone," he said. "We've been waiting for this the whole year. We've been talking about the NCAA tournament and how we want to make a run. And now is the time to do it." Kaminsky ready to make his minutes count "IF YOU LET UP FOR 10 MIN- UTES, IT COULD BE OVER, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT IT'S PUT-UP OR SHUT-UP TIME," KAMINSKY SAID OF THE TOUR- NAMENT. "AT ANY POINT, ANY TEAM CAN BEAT ANYONE."

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