Tag Archives: Kentucky

The Greatest Night of a Badger’s Life

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A couple months ago, I started this blog with a reflection about the pain that I felt following the Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks. That’s how this blog got its name. Sports are all about heartbreak. There is only one champion every year. There is a lot of heartbreak throughout the country tonight, but there is none in my house. Wisconsin won, they are going to the National Championship, and I am currently taking donations to fund my trip to Indianapolis on Monday. No, seriously, if you want to help me out, I will gladly take your money so I can pay for a ticket, gas, and food.

In my preview for the Wisconsin-Kentucky game, I talked about how big of a mess I was during both the UNC and Arizona game, and how I knew that I would be a wreck during this game. Well, I was right. My girlfriend and one of my best friends currently have approximately 150+ seconds of me freaking out on their Snapchat stories, and I couldn’t care less about how stupid I look. I was a disaster the entire game, but none of that matters anymore. The Wisconsin Badgers are in the National Championship, and there is nothing that you could say to me that would ruin my night. On Wisconsin.

The way the game started, I was not feeling optimistic. In the first minute, we have to deal with an Andrew Harrison three, a really bad Kaminsky turnover, and a big dunk from Cauley-Stein. This was not the hot start that any Badger fan was looking for. We clawed back, we fought for every point, and all of a sudden we were up on the Goliath of the NCAA. This wasn’t a true David and Goliath tale though; we couldn’t just fling one stone and expect to win. Kentucky came crawling back, and was up by two in the final seconds of the first half. Bronson Koenig stepped up though, and hit a huge jumper right before the buzzer to tie the game up at half. A tie game at half. Hard not to be happy with that.

The second half was a mystery to me, though. Both teams came out of the gate exceptionally hot, Kentucky just a little bit colder though. We would score four out of five possessions, and they only scored three out of five. They had a look in their eyes; a look of fear. My optimism was shooting through the roof, only to be brought right back down. Somehow, someway, Kentucky just kept clawing their way back into the game. With under four minutes to go, Wisconsin was down four, and my nerves were getting the best of me. At the under four TV timeout, I looked to the sky, closed my eyes, and prayed. I prayed like I had never prayed before. “God, please. Please, please, please do not let us lose this game. We’ve worked to hard for this. I don’t know why I keep saying “we”, because I have nothing to do with this, but please don’t let Wisconsin lose.” And just like that, my prayers were answered.

All of a sudden the offense clicked. The defense tightened up. Josh Gasser took a open hand slap from Trey Lyles, and seemed to throw a menacing stare toward the Kentucky bench. Captain America did not approve of this gesture from Kentucky. It was as if his facial expression said, “You guys are screwed. You messed with the wrong guy.” Everything after the Gasser slap was a blur, I won’t even lie. I was too caught up in the moment, just trying to hold on tight to the emotional roller coaster ride that I was on. Two plays stick out in my mind, though. The Dekker step back three, and the offensive foul on the other end immediately after that play.

That was it. The tide had turned. There was no way that Kentucky could overcome that. They had climbed so many hills during the year, they had taken on every punch and powered through it. Until this point. Those two plays were the haymakers that every team had been trying to throw the entire season. Every other team that had thrown them, had whiffed. Wisconsin connected though, and they connected with authority. When Trey Lyles got called for the offensive foul, he had a look on his face that said it all. In a way, it reminded me of the look that Alex Rodriguez had on his face after he smacked the ball out of Bronson Arroyo’s glove in the 2004 ALCS. “Who, me?” Kentucky got caught red-handed. That was all she wrote. A few free throws here, a defensive stop there, and that was it. History.

***

I feel bad for Kentucky, and I mean that. In a way, I wanted to see them go 40-0 and make history, as long as it wasn’t at Wisconsin’s expense. I have seen a lot of historic sport moments in my life. A few that stick out in my mind are the Earnhardt crash at Daytona, the Red Sox coming back after being down from 3-0 against the Yankees in the ALCS and then winning their first World Series since 1918, and Green Bay winning the Super Bowl in 2011. Those sporting events meant something to me. I didn’t know what the Earnhardt crash meant at the time, but I knew it was big. I loved (and still love) the Red Sox, and I hated (and still hate) the Yankees, so I was aware of what that meant. Being born in Wisconsin, I knew that Green Bay winning the Super Bowl was something that had to be celebrated. Kentucky going 40-0 would have been history. This result, though… Words can’t even begin to describe it.

Being a fan of Badger basketball has been really painful. I don’t remember the Final Four in 2000. I’m pretty sure my first Badger basketball memory was in 2004 when I went to the Wisconsin’s first round game in Milwaukee against Richmond. It wasn’t a pretty game, but Wisconsin battled for a tough victory. From that moment forward, I was in love with Wisconsin basketball. I remember watching Alando Tucker take Wisconsin to the #1 ranking in the nation, and I remember being in Chicago when he set the Wisconsin scoring record against Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament. I also remember that team losing to UNLV in the second round of the tournament. I remember when Wisconsin met up with some kid named Steph Curry and Davidson in the Sweet 16. That might have been my most painful game as a Badger fan. Wisconsin got blown out, and the most vivid image from that game is my dad throwing his Wisconsin hat across the basement in frustration. I remember when Wisconsin hit buzzer beater after buzzer beater in the 2012-2013 season, only to run into Marshall Henderson in the first round of the NCAA tournament. I remember Aaron Harrison hitting the dagger with five seconds left last year in the Final Four. I began to think that being a fan of Wisconsin basketball was all about being a fan of heartbreak. Until this.

Words can’t describe what I’m feeling right now. I’m the happiest man in the world, at least in my mind. Monday night, my Wisconsin Badgers are going to be playing the Duke Blue Devils (ironically, my second favorite team) for a National Championship. This entire week, people have asked me who I would cheer for if Wisconsin met up with Duke. The answer? Wisconsin, all the way. I went to Wisconsin for a year or school. Wisconsin holds my first college basketball memories. All I ever wanted to do growing up was play for Bo Ryan. Wisconsin, all the way.

No matter what happens in Indianapolis on Monday, April 6th of 2015, I will be a happy man. Of course I want to see Wisconsin walk away with their first National Championship since 1941. This Wisconsin team has accomplished so many things that I never thought that I would see, though. Frank Kaminsky wins Player of the Year. Never thought I’d see that. This team goes to back-to-back Final Fours. Never thought I’d see that. This team knocks off the 38-0 Kentucky Wildcats, a team that can’t be beaten. Never thought I’d see that. This team makes it to the National Championship. NEVER THOUGHT I’D SEE THAT. Wisconsin knocks off Duke to win the National Championship. I hope I can see that. If Wisconsin loses to Duke in the National Championship, I will still be happy with this season. Damn, I sure hope they win though. On, Wisconsin.

 

The Battle of the Giants: Wisconsin vs. Kentucky Preview

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This coming weekend has “History” written all over it. In one corner, we have the undefeated, defensive juggernaut, the pride of the SEC, a team from the top tier of college basketball: the Kentucky Wildcats. In the other corner, we have the contender, the unbelievably offensively efficient machine, the up-and-coming boys in red, the blue-collar team from the Big Ten: the Wisconsin Badgers. Forget the fact that this is a rematch of last year’s Final Four game; focus on what we have in front of us right now. Kentucky is attempting to complete the first ever 40-0 men’s college basketball season, and the first undefeated season since Bob Knight’s 1976 Indiana Hoosiers. Wisconsin is looking to capture college basketball glory by not only knocking off Kentucky, but also by capturing their first college basketball title since 1941. This game could easily be the best one of the entire tournament. The best offensive team in the country against the best defensive team in the country. The school that prides itself on four-year players against the school that cranks out one-and-done NBA players at a rate never seen before. The Grateful Red vs. Big Blue Nation. We are in for one hell of a game.

In my honest opinion, I think that if you are not a member of the Big Blue Nation, there is no way you cheer for Kentucky in this match-up. They are the villain in this story. According to many college basketball fans, Kentucky and John Calipari represent everything that is wrong with college basketball. Under Calipari, Kentucky has turned into a stepping-stone to the NBA. If you are a 5 star recruit with a bright future playing basketball, you should go to Kentucky. Calipari will help you achieve your NBA dreams, and all he asks for is one year of your time, and your dedication to his program.

On the flip side, you have the underdog (Vegas has Kentucky at -5) in Wisconsin. They are not favored to win this game, but in the minds of many, Wisconsin is one of the few teams in the country that has a style of play that can beat Kentucky. Wisconsin is the polar opposite of Kentucky. If you want to go to the NBA, Wisconsin is not your first choice. Wisconsin doesn’t bring in the High School All-Americans. Wisconsin brings in players that can contribute to Bo Ryan’s system for four years; they bring in players that “play the game the right way”. How could a team that doesn’t have a single McDonald’s All-American compete with a team that has nine? How could this team even hope of knocking off the giants? The answer? Make them play your game.Screen Shot 2015-04-01 at 11.47.52 AM

 

Bronson Koenig said it best.

            As long as Bo Ryan has been the coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, a few things have always held true for the team. First and foremost, the Badgers take care of the ball. They treat the basketball like it is the most prized possession one could ever own. They value every possession, and if you are going to get the ball back, they make you earn it. Second, the Badgers make sure that they get to the free-throw line, and they make sure that you pay for putting them there. Every time you watch a televised Wisconsin game, you are almost guaranteed to hear the whole, “Wisconsin’s goal is to make more free-throws than the other team attempts” spiel. Free-throws should be easy points to collect, and the Badgers want to get as many freebies as possible. The final thing that the Badgers excel at is that they make you play their style of basketball. In recent years, Wisconsin has started to pick up the offensive tempo, but this is a team that has thrived on playing games where the scoring is in the 50s or 60s. Wisconsin is not going to force up bad shots. They will be patient on offense, and they will take shots that they know they have a good chance of making. They want to slow you down to their pace and drag you into playing a dog-fight of a game.

To beat Kentucky, a team has to do three things exceptionally well: take care of the ball, shoot the 3 at a high percentage, and crash the glass hard on both offense and defense. If Wisconsin is going to win this game, they are going to have to have eight or less turnovers. You cannot allow Kentucky to get steals and easy transition buckets. You have to value every single possession that you get, and make them exhaust their energy on the defensive end. This is a daunting task, but if any team can do it, I think it is Wisconsin.

If Wisconsin is going to beat Kentucky, they are going to have to knock down the three at a consistent rate. Let’s be honest: the second half three point shooting against Arizona was an anomaly. It would be ridiculous to expect Wisconsin to be THAT accurate (10-12 in the second half) from deep again. What they do need to do though is knock down open threes to keep Kentucky on their toes. Kentucky is a freakishly long and athletic team, and it is incredibly hard to score against them on the inside. With Wisconsin’s ability to knock down shots from the perimeter, they should be able to stretch Kentucky’s defense and make the defensive rotations that much more difficult. In creating these defensive rotations, it should lead to open 3s and open driving lanes for players to attack the rim. When they do attack the rim though, they can’t be timid; they have to go in with the intent of finishing through contact and drawing fouls.

Finally, Wisconsin must try to corral every single missed shot from both Kentucky and themselves. Kentucky has shown extreme vulnerability when it comes to keeping opponents off of the offensive glass. Kentucky loves to block shots, and their bigs sell out on every single play going for blocks, which can lead to easy putbacks. Zach Auguste of Notre Dame exploited Kentucky the entire game on getting easy putbacks, strictly because he wasn’t getting boxed out. The little bunny shots will be there against Kentucky as long as you put forth the effort to track them down. On the other end of the court, Wisconsin needs to be aggressive chasing down every defensive rebound and limiting Kentucky’s second chance points. As previously stated, Kentucky is loaded with length and athleticism, and you need to keep them from getting easy points. As long as you put a body on them, Kentucky’s bigs are not that aggressive when chasing rebounds. When they have a free run at the hoop though, they will do everything that they can to dunk all over you. Limiting second chance points is key in beating any team, but it is especially important to limit Kentucky strictly because their length makes cleaning up those second chances that much easier.

I really wish that beating Kentucky was as easy as executing those three tasks stated above. Notre Dame did exceptionally well in all three of those areas on Saturday night, but Kentucky still found a way to walk away with a victory. Even if you do all of the things necessary to beat Kentucky, you still might not beat them. They have enough talent to overcome adversity. They play good enough defense that they can overcome their offensive deficiencies. They have one of the best coaches in the business and one of the deepest and best rosters in the entire country. They didn’t get to 38-0 by accident. You’d be stupid to not bet on Kentucky to win it all. They’ve made it this far, there is no reason that they shouldn’t win two more.

For all of the reasons that you should believe in Kentucky, you can find reasons to believe in Wisconsin as well. Frank Kaminsky is the best offensive talent in the country, and he can hurt you from the inside or outside. Sam Dekker has arguably been the best player in the entire tournament, and if he continues his hot streak, it will be extremely difficult for Kentucky to stop both him and Kaminsky. Every single player in the Badgers’ rotation can hurt you from inside or from three. Wisconsin does not shoot themselves in the foot; they make you beat them. They are not just going to hand this game over to Kentucky. Kentucky is going to have to earn this win. An argument can be made for either team, and you can find a counter-argument for the other team as well.

Last week, I was an absolute wreck during both the UNC and Arizona game. I was so incredibly nervous that I couldn’t sit still. Every time we fell behind I was convinced that we were going to lose. Every time we hit a huge shot, I  in the air yelling with joy. That’s the beauty of March Madness, though. It can turn even the most confident, powerful people into a nervous wreck. Saturday night will be no different. There will be times when members of each fan base will cover their eyes because they are too nervous to even watch, and they will scream with delight when their team makes a fantastic, game-changing plan. When I made my bracket two plus weeks ago, I picked Wisconsin over Kentucky in this game. Even though the rest of my bracket has been an absolute disaster, I’m not faltering on this pick. Wisconsin goes into the final minute up by two, stops Kentucky, and knocks down some free throws in the closing seconds to clinch the game. Wisconsin over Kentucky, 58-54. On Wisconsin.

Hopefully every Badger fan in the country will being celebrating on Saturday.