By: Zach Cook
Assist to: Marques Eversoll
The 2014-15 season did not end the way the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball teams had hoped – but it was still nothing short of remarkable. Their 68-63 loss to Duke capped off an unbelievable two-year run for the Badgers.
In the last two seasons, Bucky racked up 66 wins, a conference championship, a conference tournament championship, the first No. 1 seed in school history, two Final Four appearances and an appearance in the Championship Game.
Let all that sink in for a minute.
Sure, this year’s team would have traded some of those accomplishments for a win on Monday night, but nonetheless, their achievements will be forever inscribed in UW’s history book.
The 2014-15 team gave Wisconsin fans many memorable moments – aside from playing for a national championship – but here are five moments that stick out from the best season in the program’s history.
#5. Sam Dekker to Frank Kaminsky Opening Night Alley-Oop
By now many fans probably don’t remember the season opener vs. Northern Kentucky, which is reasonable considering the 62-31 result. But this play in the first 10 minutes of the season showed the Wisconsin faithful just how dominant this duo – and this team – would prove to be throughout the season.
The duo would end up accounting for 45 percent of the team’s scoring and 39 percent of their rebounds, as well as countless big shots throughout the season. This pair will become the first set of Wisconsin teammates to be drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft.
#4. NCAA Tournament Press Conferences
When the Badgers weren’t making headlines for their stellar play on the court, they were still grabbing national attention – and for all the right reasons. Press conferences can be dull and repetitive, but not for this team.
It all started with Dekker, Kaminsky and Hayes’ fascination over the NCAA’s stenographer that was present during their press conferences. Hayes led the way in terms of admiration of the stenographer – coming to each presser with a different word looking to stump the stenographer.
One of his first words, “onomatopoeia,” made its way onto t-shirts – but don’t bring it up to Nigel – who is still upset he hasn’t received one of these said shirts. But he really got his claim to fame during these pressers when he thought he uttered the phrase “God, she’s beautiful” under his breath referring to the stenographer in the room.
Little did he know that those microphones pick up pretty much everything, which is when the embarrassment settled in. Apparently, Kentucky guard Andrew Harrison missed this press conference.
When the team wasn’t crowding the stenographer, they were cracking jokes about each other and ranking their video game skills – much to the dismay of Frank Kaminsky. After a question was asked relating to the team’s FIFA skills, Kaminsky slapped his water bottle off the table when it was determined he was not the best FIFA player in the locker room.
The jury is still out on the final rankings.
#3. Showalter shows out
After a solid second round against Oregon – five points and five rebounds – sophomore guard Zak Showalter provided a much-needed spark of the bench. With just over six minutes remaining, the Badgers trailed UNC by a point. Enter, Showalter.
The sophomore’s first layup gave the Badgers their first lead of the half since the opening minutes of the second half – but his next time down the court is what sparked a Badger run that eventually closed out the Tar Heels. After stealing the ball, Showalter took it down the court for a layup to give UW a 63-60 lead.
The Badgers went on to close the game on a 23-12 run after Showalter entered the game – which propelled them to a 79-72 victory and a rematch with Arizona in the West regional final.
#2. Their Tournament Play
This year’s Badger team proved to truly be a tournament team and constantly rose to the occasion when it mattered most on neutral courts. The team posted an impressive 10-1 record this season in tournament games.
They opened the year by winning the Maui Invitational by beating three eventual NCAA Tournament teams in UAB, Georgetown and Oklahoma. After a grueling regular season, the team headed to the United Center in Chicago for the B1G Tournament.
After cruising through their first two games over Michigan and Purdue, the Badgers got a real test in the championship game against Michigan State – who would later prove they were much better than their No. 7 seed. Trailing 57-46 midway through the second half, the Badgers showcased why they were the first No. 1 seed in school history.
They outscored the Spartans 31-10 in the final 12 minutes of the game to tie the game at 69 and send it into overtime. Sparty failed to score in overtime and UW went on to win its first B1G Tournament championship since 2008 with an 80-69 victory.
The Badgers would add five more tournament wins during the NCAA Tournament, but certainly none more impressive than their upset over the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats in the Final Four. They would ultimately come up short in the NCAA Tournament, falling to Duke, but their five wins put their season total at 36 – another school record.
#1. Frank Kaminsky Winning Player of the Year
No player in all of college basketball had more hype coming into this season than Kaminsky, and he lived up to all the expectations. With announcement of him winning the Wooden Award, Kaminsky will complete a sweep of the five major Player of the Year awards.
He is the first Wisconsin player to win the award – which will secure another spot for him in the school’s record books. He leaves Wisconsin ninth in scoring (1,428), first in blocks (153) and first in most points scored in a single game (43). When he goes in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft, he will be just the fifth Badger since 1996 to accomplish that feat. That is, assuming he’s drafted before teammate Sam Dekker.
Although his career may not have ended the way he and Badger fans had hoped, his development and play over the last four years has been nothing short of remarkable. He came to Wisconsin as a seemingly uncoordinated big man with little upside – and left as one of the school’s all-time greats.
It was quite the run for the Badgers these past two years. They certainly made us believe.
Marques’ Honorable Mention: Dekker’s go-ahead 3-pointer against Kentucky
Simply said: I have never been in a sporting venue that erupted like Lucas Oil Stadium did when Sam Dekker hit his step-back triple with less than two minutes remaining against unbeaten Kentucky. I tweeted after the shot: “I think I just felt an earthquake. #Dekker”
That’s what it felt like – an earthquake. The shot that was felt around the college basketball world.
Big Blue Nation was well represented in Indianapolis. Kentucky fans outnumbered every other fan base, but Wisconsin clearly had the second-most fans in town. When Dekker connected—his latest in a long line of clutch shots in the Tournament—the place absolutely exploded.
It wasn’t like it was a desperation shot with the clock winding down, Dekker released the ball with about 17 seconds left on the shot clock. Had he missed, it’s possible Bo Ryan would have yanked him out of the game, in typical Bo Ryan fashion.
Trey Lyles and Karl-Anthony Towns switched on the screen, and Dekker let it rip. Buckets. Down goes Kentucky. What a memory.
Zach Cook is an intern with The Fan and a student at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. You can hear him on the Saturday Morning Showcase 8:00-10:00 and follow him on Twitter @ZCooksTweets.
Marques Eversoll is on-air on SportsLine every weekday afternoon from 4:00-6:00 PM on The Fan, and he hosts the Saturday Morning Showcase every weekend 8:00-10:00 AM. Follow him on Twitter @MarquesEversoll.
