Varsity - The Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics

Varsity - March 20, 2014

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/280435

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 17 of 64

18 // VARSITY March 20, 2014 BY MATT LEPAY // VOICE OF THE BADGERS THE VOICE H ello, Milwaukee! It is good to see you again. It should be fun to see thousands of Badgers fans fill the BMO Harris Bradley Center for what the Car- dinal and White crowd hopes is a lengthy NCAA tournament run. The Badgers have had their share of tournament thrills, and one of those happened in that city 10 years ago. It was 2004. The Badgers fin- ished the regular season tied for second in the Big Ten. They blew through the conference tourna- ment, with wins against Minnesota, Michigan State (68-66 in a terrific game) and finally, Illinois in the title game. Wisconsin handled the regular- season champion Illini with rela- tive ease, jumping to a 16-6 lead and never looking back in a 70-53 victory. Soon after the championship game, the team gathered for the tournament selection show. What they heard was good news and bad news. The good news is the Badgers were going to play close to home ― in Milwaukee. The bad news was they were a No. 6 seed, which caught many observers off guard. Bo Ryan tends not to make much, if anything, about seeding. He views it as a number and little else. However, what turned many heads was the prospect of having a second round game against a very tough Pittsburgh team, which many believed was under seeded at No. 3. Before they dealt with Pitts- burgh, the Badgers first had to get past Richmond. Coach Jerry Wain- wright had his Spiders ready. At the half, they led Wisconsin by seven. With 13:16 remaining in the game, Richmond had built a 13-point lead. It was looking like a one-and-done showing for the Badgers. Then everything changed. To say the Badgers got hot would be an injustice to the term. Rather, Bo's boys went on one of the great runs in program history, especially considering the stage. It was a 36-8 explosion. At one point, the Badgers scored on 19 straight possessions. I will always remember the crowd during that run. When Clayton Hanson drilled a 3-pointer to give Wisconsin the lead, the fans erupted. It was an atmosphere you do not often see during the early rounds of the NCAA tournament. There was nothing neutral about that crowd, and it is not a stretch to believe it helped the Badgers rally for a 76-64 decision. Of course, the next game against the Panthers did not have the same magic. Pittsburgh was just a little better that day, and Wisconsin's season ended. Perhaps that weekend 10 years ago serves as a reminder that while playing close to home is good, it guarantees nothing. From the sounds of this year's Badgers, they fully understand that simple fact. Still, the Badgers work dur- ing the season has earned them a chance to return to Milwaukee, this time as a No. 2 seed. It seems most believe the draw is fair. That said, American is a team playing well. In last week's Patriot League tournament title game, the Eagles throttled regular season champion Boston University, holding the Terriers to 36 points, and 1-for-17 shooting from 3-point range. Like the Badgers, the Eagles are balanced, with four players scor- ing in double figures. AU runs the Princeton offense and plays sticky defense. In a more neutral environ- ment, it is just the kind of team fans might decide to get behind. But this should not be a neutral environ- ment. In some of the past Rose Bowls, a number of people referred to the famous venue as Camp Randall West. This week, I would think the UW basketball folks would have no problem with the term Kohl Center East. Such an atmosphere guarantees nothing ― but it sure doesn't hurt. Badgers like the sound of 'Kohl Center East' IN SOME OF THE BADGERS' PAST ROSE BOWLS, A NUM- BER OF PEOPLE REFERRED TO THE FAMOUS VENUE AS CAMP RANDALL WEST. THIS WEEK, I WOULD THINK BASKETBALL FOLKS WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE TERM KOHL CENTER EAST.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Varsity - The Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics - Varsity - March 20, 2014