Bucky Badger 
Headed to the Final Four

Wisconsin tackles another Big Ten foe in the NCAA semifinal this Saturday, the Michigan State Spartans. MSU came back to soundly defeat the Iowa State Cyclones in the Midwest Regional final. The Badgers seek to avenge three earlier losses against the Spartans this season, the last one coming in the semifinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament.

The Badgers defeated #9 seeded Fresno State, #1 Arizona, and #4 LSU before their fourth matchup of the season against the Boilermakers. As the 8th seed in the West, Dick Bennett’s crew proved that great defense and unselfish play still hold merit in college basketball. Their simple, textbook style befuddled their first three opponents. Relentless grit against an equally tough Purdue team was just enough for a ticket to Indy.

To say their defense has been "stifling" is an understatement. They have allowed the lowest number of points of any team in the tournament (55.8). They deny low-post position, and double-team with surprising efficiency. They don’t possess an abundance of so-called "athletes," but are athletic enough to stick with their men and offer help to teammates. Their pesky paws block passing lane after passing lane.

In the era of high-flying dunks, and one-on-one wizardry, this team is clearly the exception, not the rule. Some pundits have described the Badgers’ play as plodding and boring. Bennett’s crew has never expected style points. They also never expected to go this far.

"What can I say?" Wisconsin's Jon Bryant said. "Who would have thought this was possible? A month and a half ago, we were just trying to get into the tournament. But here we are going to the Final Four."

"There really aren't any words," said Bennett. "I could not be happier, prouder. The game unfolded as I thought it would and once we got control of the basketball and didn't turn it over in the second half than I thought we had a chance if we didn't get killed on the boards. "Whatever superlative you can think of, use those words," said Bennett. "I feel indescribably happy."

Their weaknesses often point to their offense. The irony is that defenses can’t rely on stopping one star, one big scorer. Through 35 games this season, eight players have led them in scoring. Bryant, the 6-2" senior guard, is averaging 16.8 points per game during the tournament, nine over his regular season average. Bryant’s blazing three-point shooting has kept their normally modest offense output alive. On defense, Mike Kelley (arguably the best backcourt defender in the nation) is averaging almost as many steals (3.75) as points (5.8).

Their frontcourt boasts three juniors, all around 6’8" tall. Andy Kowske and Mark Vershaw toggle between toughness and finesse. Maurice Linton is the starting lineup’s lone slasher. The bench is anchored by Duany Duany (no, that’s not a typo), Charlie Wills, and Roy Boone. All have roles to fill, and throughout this tournament, they have satisfied them with precision. None of these guys makes the "Who’s Who" of college basketball, but their success is the sum of their parts.

As eight-point underdogs against the Spartans, the Badgers realize that sound defense and sufficient shooting are the only recipes for success. Michigan State is experienced and hungry. They failed in last year’s Final Four, so motivation is plentiful for Tom Izzo’s team. Point guard Mateen Cleaves leads a strong, confident bunch primed for their first NCAA title since the Magic Johnson days. They’re heavily favored to win it all, and with good reason.

As college teams lose more and more kids to the NBA at an early age, it’s comforting to know that the NCAA tournament still holds its luster. Next Tuesday morning, we’ll see which team shines the brightest.

Excuse the sour grapes, but I must use this space to decry the East Coast, big market bias exhibited by the national sports press (namely ESPN) last weekend. I am referring specifically to the primadona scribes on ESPN’s Sports Reporters show, which airs at 9 CST on Sunday mornings. In their discussion on the tournament, they made only passing, token references to the Badgers.

At the time of the show, two teams had already qualified for the Final Four, Wisconsin and Michigan State. You would never have gleaned that from their discussion. The Spartans got most of the attention, partly because one of the reporters, Mitch Albom (author of the acclaimed "Tuesdays with Morrie") writes for the Detroit Free Press. The Badgers were mentioned merely as a sidebar to the blabbering bias of one Bill Conlin. Conlin is a regular participant on the show and a proud graduate of Temple University. Always anxious to mention his alma mater, Conlin mentioned the Badgers only in comparison to his precious Owls, saying that the Badgers reminded him of Temple. Excuse me Bill, but where are your Owls?

I suspect that if the Badgers overcome the Spartans, these charlatans will be forced to give them airtime.