Sunday afternoon was what those around the Wisconsin men's basketball program had been waiting for all season. Once again coming at a point in which the Badgers' backs were squarely against the wall, the 63-60 win over then-#8/9 Ohio State was exactly what many felt this team had been capable of all season.
But for a multitude of reasons, those hopes had not yet come to fruition even with just three games remaining in the regular season. Having just gotten swept by unranked Iowa, the Badgers were in danger of losing their grip on the all-important fourth spot in the Big Ten standings, a spot that they had not once relinquished in Bo Ryan's 10-year run at the helm in Madison.
Not only did the Badgers beat Ohio State on their home floor, on Senior Day nonetheless, but they arguably beat the Buckeyes at their best. Ohio State shot nearly 70% for most of the first half, heading into the break at nearly 56% and finishing with a more than respectable 47% effort for the afternoon. UW didnt shoot lights out either, finishing just under 42% from the field and just 37.5% from beyond the arc.
But what Wisconsin finally did do was make the big plays. Especially in Big Ten play, games seem to always come down to a handful of plays that may or may not even show up in the box score.
Sunday it was two hustle plays that turned the tide for UW.
First, after Jared Sullinger got a lob underneath the basket, Jared Berggren came across to help and got a big blocked shot, a block that more importantly was followed by a hustle rebound picked up by Josh Gasser that led to Sullinger's 2nd foul and a flurry of Buckeye frustration.
Finally, with Wisconsin trailing by three and less than five minutes to go, Berggren missed a three but on the long rebound Ryan Evans hustled to save it in the corner and found a streaking Gasser at the basket for a big layup. That play kept what would ultimately be a 7-0 run that began when Sullinger left the game at the 6:42 mark and culminated with a tough jumper by Jordan Taylor that gave Wisconsin a 52-51 lead with just under four minutes to play.
Plays like those ultimately decide tight games and after not making them consistently throughout the season, UW finally put it all together in Columbus.
As Wisconsin now heads home for its final two games of the regular season, the momentum has to be maintained. Winning in Columbus means nothing if it is ultimately cancelled out by home losses to unranked opponents in either Illinois or Minnesota.
In the past, the inviolability of the Kohl Center seemed to make such upsets impossible. But this season, Wisconsin just hasnt had the home court advantage that Badger fans have become accustomed to.
Unfortunately, that lost advantage is in no small part due to a truly pathetic showing from the Grateful Red. After years of ranking among the nation's top student sections, the Grateful Red truly have failed their team this season. While it certainly didnt help that four conference home games fell during the winter break, the showings in the three games since havent been all that much improved.
Sure, they filled the place up with Ohio State in town. But honestly, that isnt anything to be proud of. That is expected when Ohio State goes anywhere, basketball school or not. The problem is that in the other two home games, the Grateful Red barely managed to fill the bottom bowl. And while it is one thing when that happens for a Sunday afternoon game against bottom-dwelling Penn State, that should never happen on a Thursday night when a ranked Indiana team comes to town.
Never.
Having been to several road games both inside and outside of conference play, I can honestly say that the Grateful Red is losing its right to be seen among the best of the best. Purdue, Illinois, Iowa: all have welcomed the Badgers with far more hostile environments than the Grateful Red have been able to reciprocate. And while somehow Wisconsin has played well in these hostile environments, posting a 6-3 conference road record, I cannot help but think that their 4-3 mark would be a whole lot better if they had the Kohl Center environment that was the norm for the better part of the past decade. College basketball teams feed off of energy and the Badgers are no exception. Unfortunately, their students are not helping them out in this matter.
Perhaps it is simply the result of complacency among the sports fans at UW. Perhaps the interest in football and men's basketball is beginning to wane now that the novelty of finally being good at the two most important sports in collegiate athletics is wearing off. Perhaps now that the UW teams are expected to win, there is no reason to go and watch.
But whatever the reason is, it is but a weak excuse. There are just two more games left in the regular season, just two more chances to head down to the Kohl Center for a game. Once they are gone, they are not coming back.
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