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FOOTBALL
March 29
Wisconsin Team Report
Getting Inside
With their throwback style of true team basketball, Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan and the Badgers often look as if they should be playing in a black-and-white movie.
They certainly created an instant classic together in 2007-08 even though their Final Four dreams were dashed by Davidson in the Midwest Regional semifinals.
Wisconsin (31-5) swept the Big Ten regular-season and conference tournament championships and set a school record for victories. Its 16 wins during league play were the most in school history and the most by any Big Ten team since Indiana went 17-1 in 1992-93.
The Badgers were 15-3 away from home, smashing yet another school record for road and neutral-site wins. They won 11 in 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2006-07. Their eight road wins in Big Ten play were also the most ever for the program.
Paired with a 30-6 record in 2006-07, Wisconsin became the third team in Big Ten history with back-to-back 30-win seasons, joining Indiana in 1974-75 (31-1) and 1975-76 (32-0) and Michigan State in 1998-99 (33-5) and 1999-2000 (32-7). The Badgers are one of five teams in the nation with consecutive 30-win seasons, along with North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis and Kansas.
The foundation for their phenomenal success this season was Ryan’s signature blend of disciplined, intelligent defense and balanced, unselfish offense.
Wisconsin allowed just 54.4 points per game, the fewest in the nation and the fewest for the program since 1949-50. The Badgers also ranked fifth in the country in field-goal percentage defense (38.3 percent). In the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, they held Cal State Fullerton and Kansas State to their lowest point totals of the season.
Seven different players led Wisconsin in scoring this season. In its first five conference games, five different players scored at least 20 points.
“It’s a very team-oriented structure here,” senior guard Michael Flowers said. “There’s no main star. Nobody gets any special treatment, special benefits. There are no favorites on the team, just one through 15. Players get the playing time they deserve.”
In addition to Flowers, a two-time Big Ten All-Defensive Team selection, the Badgers say goodbye to first-team all-conference center Brian Butch and center Greg Stiemsma.
Wisconsin probably won’t get too many first-place ballots in Big Ten preseason polls next year. But based on the way these Badgers exceeded expectations after losing Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor, don’t be surprised if Ryan directs another tour-de-force hit in 2008-09.
Davidson 73, Wisconsin 56: Sophomore sniper Stephen Curry shredded the top-rated defense of the Badgers and carried the Wildcats to their 25th straight victory in the Midwest Regional semifinals Friday in Detroit.
Curry broke open a 36-36 halftime tie by outscoring third-seeded Wisconsin 22-20 by himself after intermission. He finished with 33 points—his third straight 30-point game in the tournament—on 11-of-22 shooting, including 6-of-11 from 3-point range.
Wisconsin (31-5) reached the Sweet 16 with the nation’s stingiest defense, allowing just 53.9 points per game. The 10th-seeded Wildcats (29-6) shot 49 percent from the field and 50 percent (12-of-24) from behind the arc to snap the Badgers’ 12-game winning streak. Wisconsin fell to 0-4 this season when allowing 70 or more points.
Michael Flowers had 12 points to lead the Badgers. Jason Bohannon and Brian Butch had 11 each and Joe Krabbenhoft added 10. Wisconsin played most of the game without point guard Trevon Hughes, who injured his right foot.
Notes, Quotes
• Senior guard Michael Flowers played in his 133rd game against Davidson, one short of tying the Wisconsin career record set by Alando Tucker from 2003-07. Flowers scored 11 of his 12 points in the first half and tallied six rebounds. He ended his Badgers career ranked third in school history in steals (172) and ninth in assists (278).
• Sophomore point guard Trevon Hughes injured his right foot midway through the first half against the Wildcats and went to the locker room. He was 0-of-3 from the field with three rebounds.
• With 11 points and two rebounds against Davidson, fifth-year senior center Brian Butch finished his Wisconsin career ranked ninth all time in rebounds (667) and 24th in points (1,115).
Coach:
Bo Ryan, seven years at school, seven years in NCAA tournament.
Quote To Note:
“We were Wisconsin out there today. That was Wisconsin basketball and that beat a very good team, a very talented team. … It proved that with our style of basketball, we can beat anybody.”—Junior forward Joe Krabbenhoft in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after Wisconsin’s 72-55 second-round win over Kansas State.
Roster Report:
• Prior to the Davidson loss, it had been 10 games since a Wisconsin opponent shot better than 42 percent from the field. Illinois managed to hit 43.6 percent of its shots on Feb. 20.
2007-8 Big Ten Conference Basketball Standings
(FINAL)
Conference Overall
School W L Pct W L Pct
---------------------------------------------
Wisconsin 16 2 .889 31 5 .861
Purdue 15 3 .833 25 9 .735
Indiana 14 4 .778 25 8 .758
Michigan State 12 6 .667 27 9 .750
Ohio State 10 8 .556 24 13 .649
Minnesota 8 10 .444 20 14 .588
Penn State 7 11 .389 15 16 .484
Iowa 6 12 .333 13 19 .406
Illinois 5 13 .278 16 19 .457
Michigan 5 13 .278 10 22 .313
Northwestern 1 17 .056 8 22 .267
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