Varsity - The Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics

Varsity - April 3, 2014

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42 // VARSITY April 3, 2014 "Josh Gasser is tough as nails," Ben Brust mar- veled. "I knew coming into this game that he was going to be a big part of this win, whether he scored or didn't score. I knew he was going to contribute to helping us get this victory and that charge at the end really helped." Gasser had led the Bad- gers in taking charges this season with seven and he received credit for No. 8 after Johnson was called for using his left forearm to push off in order to gain separation from Gasser on a hard drive to the rim with three seconds remaining in a 64-63 game. The Wildcats had a beef. But, then, so did the Badgers on the subsequent inbounds play. First of all, Sam Dekker was the inbounder and Arizona's Aaron Gordon did not give him the required space. On the contrary, Gor- don was standing out of bounds with Dekker. It went unnoticed. Dekker's intended pass to Traevon Jackson appeared to be deflected out of bounds by Arizona's Rondae Hol- lis-Jefferson and that's the way it was called on the floor. But it came un- der review, a lengthy review during which the officiating crew reportedly checked out as many as 14 different angles. Really? "The longer the review went," Gas- ser said, "the more positive I was that they were going to give them the ball. I kept saying in the huddle, 'One stop, one stop. It doesn't matter what they call, let's just focus on getting a stop here."' Despite the lack of conclusive vid- eo evidence to reverse the call ― if they had some it logically wouldn't have taken them that long to find it ― the officials awarded the ball to the Wildcats with 2.3 seconds remaining. "Coach (Bo) Ryan just said, 'It's time to D-up,"' Dekker recalled. So they did. Johnson unwittingly dribbled out the clock and never got a shot off in time. "We knew he was probably going to get the ball in his hands and try to make a play," Gasser said. "He came off that double screen up top and Trae end- ed up taking him from there." Frank Kaminsky had Jackson's back. "I knew that he (Johnson) was going to drive," Jackson said during Saturday's postgame news confer- ence that included Gasser, Brust, Kaminsky and Ryan. "And I'm so thankful that Frank was back ― (turning to Kaminsky) ― that was you in the back, right?" That was him. On this night, Kaminsky had everybody's back. "Frank Kaminsky," said Arizona coach Sean Miller, "is the reason Wisconsin's in the Final Four." READ MORE ON UWBADGERS.COM "FRANK KAMINSKY," SAID ARIZONA COACH SEAN MILLER, "IS THE REASON WISCONSIN'S IN THE FINAL FOUR."

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