Sorry for the month in between posts. This graduation thing is really putting a damper on my blogging plans and a trip out to Las Vegas last week - and this goes without saying - kept me away from the computer for a few days. What have I missed? March, and all that March offers is, well...madness. The last time I swung by BBB, I got my feelings out about Ryan Braun and although myself and the state of Wisconsin are likely the only ones who share those views, I couldn't really give a damn. It's time to move on from the miserable stretch that was Braun's appeal, but before moving on from March Madness, let's look back at the stretch that pumped false hope into millions of Badger fans and Warrior fans.
Both Wisconsin and Marquette were knocked out of their conference tourneys and this normally isn't really cause for concern - except this time, specifically for MU. The last team to reach the Final Four that got knocked out in the first round of their conference tournament was...hmmm...turns out no one has ever done it. There's a first time for everything, but it just wasn't meant to be for the Warriors to be the first to do this. The seeds handed out to Marquette (3) and Wisconsin (4) were to be expected unless each had made better runs in their respective conference tournaments.
To my great chagrin, I was forced to miss the ending of BOTH first round matchups involving my two favorite college basketball teams, neither of which I favor above the other for the record. Instead, I had the privilege of taking one of the more difficult exams my young mind as ever been challenged with...an exam that I pulled a B out of my ass for. Don't ask how that happened. Thankfully, UW and MU had my back and easily took care of business in round one (don't give me this "actually it's round two" crap). As the first round of the NCAA tournament was winding down, so were my hopes of winning any money as my Final Four "lock" of Missouri lost to Norfolk State (and thank goodness, because their second round game against Florida was THRILLING). Believe it or not, I'm still doing quite well in the two pools I'm entered in that involve money, but there is little chance I win anything.
Round two rolled around, and now Wisconsin and Marquette had to bear down. Both did just enough, with Bucky barely holding off Vandy in a thriller...a team I picked to roll into the elite 8 and final four in one bracket (whoops again)...and Marquette pulling out an ugly one against one-loss Murray State. The Badgers looked a heck of a lot better than the Warriors did and this should have been a sign of things to come in the round of the Sweet 16. Even though it had appeared that Marquette was done a favor by WHAT THE NorFOLK State, the Florida Gators were a team on a mission. The Badgers would square off against Syracuse in what is perhaps one of the top three games of the tournament thus far.
I did in fact make a couple bets on March Madness during my time in Vegas, but neither involved the hometown squads (I picked Kentucky to cover and NC State +8 against Kansas - winner, winner, chicken dinner). We walked over a couple of delicious pitchers of Miller Lite and sat down in the sportsbook viewing room to watch the first game - Syracuse v. Wisconsin, a game being played just miles away from Cuse in Boston. While I said earlier in the year that it was the relying on the three point shot that would do in the Badgers eventually, it was the 3-ball that kept Wisconsin in the game. They made 14 threes! Unheard of. They went on stretches draining three after three, a shooting clinic. That was nice and all, but as Jordan Taylor would say at halftime (and what I was screaming at the television about) was that the Badgers needed to get the ball in the middle to collapse the defense and then kick it back out right away. The baseline was also an open area on the floor against the Orange zone, but the athleticism of Syracuse was overpowering and any attempt to score down low resulted in turnovers and blocked shots. Getting the ball to Jared Berggren in the high post led to more open looks and was the driving force behind the Badgers getting back into the game. Wisconsin would finally grab a lead on a Ben Brust trey to go up 3 with about eight minutes left. From there, several nails were worn down and the Badgers only scored 2 points in the last four minutes. However, after the Syracuse missed a one-and-one, Wisconsin had 15 seconds to bring the ball up and win the game. There was just one problem: Berggren, who was 6 of 7 shooting on the game, NEVER CHECKED INTO THE GAME! Well that's okay, the Badgers had a timeout left so they'll just use that and...oh crap...they aren't using it. They never used it. Rob Wilson had an open look, could have even driven down the lane, but the SENIOR got wet feet, passed it off to Taylor, who heaved a prayer, and that was it.
Syracuse 64, Wisconsin 63. Why in God's name Bo Ryan didn't get Berggren in the game will forever puzzle me.
But at least there was still hope, for Marquette was up next, the favorite in a game against the Florida Gators. Who would have ever thought that the Badgers would be more entertaining to watch in this tournament than the Warriors? I mean, seriously? This Florida-Marquette game was flat out brutal to watch. All that really needs to be said is that MU couldn't shoot the damn ball, and that's why they lost 68-58 to a team that very well should have reached the Final Four should they not have had an epic collapse at the hands of Louisville two days later. It was disappointing because it could have easily been the Warriors in the Final Four - heck, it could have very well been Wisconsin in the Final Four. There was a legitimate chance of each happening. The Badgers did all they could to get there. Marquette...did not.
Next season may look bleak for the college basketball landscape in Wisconsin. Taylor, Jae Crowder and DJO are all moving on, but there is reason to keep your hopes high. The Badgers will lose Taylor but bring in highly touted freshman Sam Dekker, who did this a few weeks ago and is still the reigning top play on SportsCenter. He's a top 20 recruit at 6'8" and should contribute immediately for Wisconsin. For Marquette, they will actually return some legitimate size down low with Davante Gardner and Chris Otule coming off of his ACL injury. Jamil Wilson, who can jump out of the building, will also be back and the Warriors are bringing in three recruits with grades higher than 80 according to ESPN.
It's sad to see March Madness go, but it will lead us right into baseball season and my beloved Milwaukee Brewers. Their preview is up next, so stay tuned.
Showing posts with label Marquette. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marquette. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
With no more football, enter basketball
I don't know how any of you felt about it, but that Super Bowl we just witnessed was awful in just about every aspect until it entered the final three minutes. Terrible commercials. Terrible halftime show (I'm still waiting for LMFAO to perform). A National Anthem performed correctly. And of course the actual game which lacked exciting, meaningful plays. In fact, there was only one play that got me off my seat (well, not really) and it's pretty apparent which play I'm talking about. Anyway, the Giants beat the Patriots...again...and anyone who places bets on sports (I'm getting there) would have been stupid to take New England in this one. Nevertheless, the moment after the Packers managed to hold off the Giants in week 13 38-35, I knew the one team I didn't want to face in the playoffs: the Giants. It happened, and there's no doubt in my mind that it should have been the Packers on that podium with confetti falling down on them on Sunday.
So football is over and if you haven't already done so, it's time to either turn your attention to basketball or hockey because it's not quite time to start tailgating in the Miller Park parking lots (however, here's a link to get you thinking about the upcoming baseball season). Since there isn't a professional hockey franchise in the state of Wisconsin, I'm not going to talk about hockey. And since there still hasn't been a decision made on the Ryan Braun situation, I can't discuss that, either. That only leaves one point of interest, and that's basketball. Soon it will be time to preview the Brewers and think about what the heck the Packers need to do with that putrid defense, but for now, the state of Wisconsin has two nationally ranked division I college basketball teams and a professional basketball team sitting in the eight seed in the Eastern Conference. That's right - the Wisconsin Badgers, Marquette Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks would all make the postseason as of right now. I can guarantee you this much...two of those teams will certainly extend their seasons in 2012. Still too early to tell with the Deer.
Before you get excited over this prospect, let me dampen your spirits a bit. Not one of these teams is going to win a championship this year. Call me a negative Nancy, but all three of the major basketball teams that we follow in this state have notable flaws that championship teams simply don't possess. You can even look at the Packers...that defense was simply not good enough to win a Super Bowl and the prolific offense led by Aaron Rodgers helped cover that fact up for 18 weeks. Finishing near the top of their respective conferences may look good in the eyes of fans and the selection committee for Marquette and Wisconsin, and they might even get through a round or two of March Madness. But here is a major flaw(s) for each team that will prevent further success.
Marquette (20-5, 9-3): Slow starts, No inside presence
Coming into the season, for once their was promise down low with Chris Otule rapidly improving as a big man and Javante Gardner ready to back him up after dropping 20 pounds. Otule went down with an ACL injury and now Gardner has a nagging ankle injury that has kept him out of the last three games, leaving Jamil Wilson, who is 6'7", as the tallest Marquette player. We saw it years ago when the Warriors played Stanford and the Lopez twins, and it looks like we're heading down the same path - Marquette's athleticism fails to overcome the extreme height differentials it has with other tournament teams. Couple this problem with Marquette's tendency to always fall behind early in games and it's going to be difficult for this team to make it past the sweet 16 even though they are second in the always tough (but this year down) Big East.
Wisconsin (18-6, 7-4): Too reliant on the three
Aside from Jordan Taylor, there really isn't anyone that can carry the Badgers this season. Guys will occasionally step up, and thank goodness they have, because Taylor hasn't had the privilege of having Jon Leuer to lean on and hasn't been as good as expected. Speaking of not having Leuer, there is almost no inside presence with the Badgers either, which is probably why Marquette was able to beat them back on Dec. 3. This leads the Badgers to rely too much on the three point shot, which is something I did and look where I am now. This isn't to say Wisconsin can't get hot and string together some wins in the tourney, but it's just not something we're used to seeing and the Badgers just don't seem to be built for March Madness.
Milwaukee (10-13, 8th in East): Defending the paint, consistency
When Andrew Bogut (shockingly) went down with an injury earlier this season, all hope appeared to be lost for the Bucks. But Brandon Jennings has emerged as a legitimate All-Star candidate and Drew Gooden has been surprisingly effective filling in for Bogues. Other than that, there isn't much going for the Deer. It's a team mainly composed of role players and Gooden, who really isn't a true center, is being counted on to replace Bogut's rebounding numbers. This isn't realistic, and while guys like Ersan Ilyasova have helped fill that void, teams are out-rebounding the Bucks. Meanwhile, some nights Milwaukee has been able to defend well and other nights, like tonight against the Suns for instance, it's been God awful. Inconsistency has never resulted in overall success and unless the Bucks go out and find a legit big man (maybe in a trade for Stephen Jackson) and become more consistent on both ends of the floor, this team will likely find themselves out of the playoffs.
So football is over and if you haven't already done so, it's time to either turn your attention to basketball or hockey because it's not quite time to start tailgating in the Miller Park parking lots (however, here's a link to get you thinking about the upcoming baseball season). Since there isn't a professional hockey franchise in the state of Wisconsin, I'm not going to talk about hockey. And since there still hasn't been a decision made on the Ryan Braun situation, I can't discuss that, either. That only leaves one point of interest, and that's basketball. Soon it will be time to preview the Brewers and think about what the heck the Packers need to do with that putrid defense, but for now, the state of Wisconsin has two nationally ranked division I college basketball teams and a professional basketball team sitting in the eight seed in the Eastern Conference. That's right - the Wisconsin Badgers, Marquette Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks would all make the postseason as of right now. I can guarantee you this much...two of those teams will certainly extend their seasons in 2012. Still too early to tell with the Deer.
Before you get excited over this prospect, let me dampen your spirits a bit. Not one of these teams is going to win a championship this year. Call me a negative Nancy, but all three of the major basketball teams that we follow in this state have notable flaws that championship teams simply don't possess. You can even look at the Packers...that defense was simply not good enough to win a Super Bowl and the prolific offense led by Aaron Rodgers helped cover that fact up for 18 weeks. Finishing near the top of their respective conferences may look good in the eyes of fans and the selection committee for Marquette and Wisconsin, and they might even get through a round or two of March Madness. But here is a major flaw(s) for each team that will prevent further success.
Marquette (20-5, 9-3): Slow starts, No inside presence
Coming into the season, for once their was promise down low with Chris Otule rapidly improving as a big man and Javante Gardner ready to back him up after dropping 20 pounds. Otule went down with an ACL injury and now Gardner has a nagging ankle injury that has kept him out of the last three games, leaving Jamil Wilson, who is 6'7", as the tallest Marquette player. We saw it years ago when the Warriors played Stanford and the Lopez twins, and it looks like we're heading down the same path - Marquette's athleticism fails to overcome the extreme height differentials it has with other tournament teams. Couple this problem with Marquette's tendency to always fall behind early in games and it's going to be difficult for this team to make it past the sweet 16 even though they are second in the always tough (but this year down) Big East.
Wisconsin (18-6, 7-4): Too reliant on the three
Aside from Jordan Taylor, there really isn't anyone that can carry the Badgers this season. Guys will occasionally step up, and thank goodness they have, because Taylor hasn't had the privilege of having Jon Leuer to lean on and hasn't been as good as expected. Speaking of not having Leuer, there is almost no inside presence with the Badgers either, which is probably why Marquette was able to beat them back on Dec. 3. This leads the Badgers to rely too much on the three point shot, which is something I did and look where I am now. This isn't to say Wisconsin can't get hot and string together some wins in the tourney, but it's just not something we're used to seeing and the Badgers just don't seem to be built for March Madness.
Milwaukee (10-13, 8th in East): Defending the paint, consistency
When Andrew Bogut (shockingly) went down with an injury earlier this season, all hope appeared to be lost for the Bucks. But Brandon Jennings has emerged as a legitimate All-Star candidate and Drew Gooden has been surprisingly effective filling in for Bogues. Other than that, there isn't much going for the Deer. It's a team mainly composed of role players and Gooden, who really isn't a true center, is being counted on to replace Bogut's rebounding numbers. This isn't realistic, and while guys like Ersan Ilyasova have helped fill that void, teams are out-rebounding the Bucks. Meanwhile, some nights Milwaukee has been able to defend well and other nights, like tonight against the Suns for instance, it's been God awful. Inconsistency has never resulted in overall success and unless the Bucks go out and find a legit big man (maybe in a trade for Stephen Jackson) and become more consistent on both ends of the floor, this team will likely find themselves out of the playoffs.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
2012...where Win-sconsin goes to die?
On New Year's Day when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Detroit Lions to finish the regular season at 15-1, it was almost beginning to seem too good to be true. Say what you will, but not too many Packer fans expected a team almost completely composed of backups to knock off a team that was playing for the five seed and a chance not to play the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the playoffs. Early on, it appeared this wasn't going to happen, mostly due to the incompetency of Pat Lee to return a kickoff, and it was 9-0 Detroit. From there on, we all know what happened, and on an afternoon where a state filled with thousands of hungover Packer fans laid down on their couches to watch a meaningless, stress-free football game, Matt Flynn did the impossible. A franchise record in touchdowns (six) and passing yardage (480) was still barely enough to send the Lions home with the six seed in a thrilling 45-41 victory. And what a game it was...but have you noticed how the other Wisconsin sports teams have performed since we brought in the New Year?
Let's begin with the two major Division I college basketball programs, the Marquette Warriors and the Wisconsin Badgers. Both teams, as usual, have fairly hefty expectations and at the very least are expected to reach the NCAA Tournament held at the end of each college basketball season. Well, at this point, it's looking more likely these teams make a trip to the NIT rather than March Madness. Not really...I think. The two teams have a combined two conference wins. They've played a combined seven conference games. The Badgers stand at 12-5. The Warriors stand at 12-4. There are distinguishable reasons as to why each team has hit a proverbial brick wall here in early January just as conference play has picked up. First of all, the Badgers. A team that was at one point ranked in the top six before falling at Chapel Hill to the Tar Heels. Since then, Wisconsin has fallen AT HOME to Marquette, Michigan State, and most embarrassing of all, Iowa. Back in 2009, the Badgers had a pretty rough stretch such as this one when they dropped six games in a row, and they still managed to make the tournament (only to get blown out of the water by Arizona). In Wisconsin's defense, the schedule this season in Big Ten conference play is lethal, likely only second in difficulty to the Big East...and even between those two it's close. There are four schools in the Big Ten ranked in the top 13, which is ridiculous. The Big East? Only two.
Along with the difficult schedule, the Badgers have been struggling from the field, and I mean struggling. For some reason, this team, specifically Jordan Taylor, decides to wait until the final five minutes of the game to show up and make shots. We've all seen this before, but this season it hasn't been enough. Against Michigan State last Tuesday, the Badgers rallied to force overtime and then once again rallied to nearly force another overtime, only to have a banked-in three as time expired from Ryan Evans waved off. I'll get to Wisconsin's athletic teams inability to get plays off in time in a moment. What it comes down to is this: Jordan Taylor hasn't been who he was expected to be this season, this team consists of a bunch of role players and the schedule has been difficult. Will they still make the tournament? I would assume so. Does the schedule start to get a little easier? It would appear that way. But Taylor simply needs to play better because as far as star-power is concerned, he's all the Badgers have got.
The struggles for Marquette are much more understandable, in my opinion. I'll start with the Chris Otule injury. Otule is now confirmed to be out for the season after suffering an ACL injury during non-conference play against Washington. It might be drastic to say this, but this might be the dagger in Marquette's season as far as a potential Big East championship and deep run in the NCAA Tournament is concerned. Now the biggest man on the Warriors' roster is Davante Gardner, who is 6'8" but a load of a man. Otule gave this team the man down low it needed, and he had worked so hard to get where he was in his college career. It just piles on to the depressing news as of late. Moving past Otule, this team still has some depth, plenty of athleticism, and a lot of heart. However, there is still plenty of growing up to do. Aside from seniors Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom, the Warriors are young. They also got thrown right into the Big East gauntlet with games on the road against Georgetown and Syracuse. Marquette had a huge second half collapse against the Hoyas and made a comeback of their own against the Orange, but MU came up just short in each contest. Despite the tough losses, there is plenty to be optimistic about...unlike the Badgers. Besides a game at home against a struggling Louisville team, Marquette doesn't face a ranked opponent until Feb. 18. Barring any sort of letdown, MU should string together some wins here to get back on track.
Getting back to the clock issues. Have you ever seen anything like what happened considering the circumstances at the end of the Rose Bowl and the Michigan State game at the Kohl Center? It's almost comical. Almost. I really have no desire to relive the final "play" of the Rose Bowl game against Oregon, but I kind of lost my cool after what happened and entered a bit of a Twitter debate about whether or not it was the right move to try and spike the football as time expired. First things first, it was terrible execution by Russell Wilson and Peter Konz, who apparently couldn't get the football snapped in two seconds. Whether or not you want to argue that the clock operator was a little too quick on the trigger with starting the clock or if it is solely on Wilson and Konz for not getting the football snapped (I'm still not sure on this one), the Badgers were facing an uphill battle, still 30 yards away from the end zone and down by seven. The game ended 45-38 in favor of Oregon in a game that played out much like many expected. But here's why it was the right decision to try and spike the ball with :02 seconds remaining.
Let's go back to the previous play. I have nothing wrong with the route Nick Toon ran and how he was tackled in-bounds. In college, you can afford to run routes that won't get you out-of-bounds because of how the clock stops on first downs. Toon made the catch and was brought down instantly with two seconds to go in the fourth quarter. Now on the play, Toon was in obvious pain from the hit he took, but another receiver (Abbrederis I believe) helped him onto his feet because, I believe, he was just as confused as me when it came to injured players under two minutes. In the NFL, if a team doesn't have a timeout and time has to be stopped due to an injury with less than two minutes left in the game while the clock is still running, there is a 10-second run-off. There is no such penalty in college football, so Toon technically could have stayed down on the field, and officials would have had to stop play. This would have given the Badgers some time to draw up a play, although the clock would have been started on the referee's whistle just like it was last Monday night. I know what you're screaming at your computer screens right now...then why didn't Toon stay on the ground? Well, Abbrederis pulled him up, probably a natural reaction considering the intense hurry-up mode the Badgers were in, so there's that. Also, since Toon was obviously able to stand (he was up when Wilson was trying to get the ball snapped in time), he wasn't THAT hurt. If he stays down on purpose in order to get the clock stopped, consider these two aspects: first, by rule, he is unable to return for the following play. Who knows...maybe if the Badgers get that spike off, he is able to shake it off and stay in for the next play. There's no denying Toon is not only Wisconsin's finest receiver, but also an NFL-caliber wide-out. Second, can you imagine the outrage from people (especially Oregon fans) if Toon stays down? Toon is not the guy who's going to pull something like that. It challenges the integrity of the game. Sure, if Toon is hurt badly enough to not get up (which wasn't true), then he stays down, but even then there is going to be controversy considering the situation. To close out this extremely lengthy paragraph, consider this...can't there be an easier way to signal to the quarterback the start of play? The head referee is standing BEHIND Wilson, and even though he blows his whistle, it's incredibly loud and the motion he's making with his arm to signal the start of the game clock isn't in Wilson's line of sight. But man do those two seconds go by fast. I'll bet you Wilson thought he had more time to hike that ball. Would it kill football to use a decimal point in their clock when it goes under a minute? This moment brings up so much debate. Kray.
I know that it never should have come down to this had Bret Bielema not burned that stupid second timeout early in the second half because he wanted a challenge on something that didn't need to be challenged, and I know Bielema for some reason can't win the big game, but that's not what I'm arguing here and I think I make a pretty strong case for the Badgers spiking the ball in that situation. Of course, Wisconsin still faced a virtual Hail Mary to even TIE that game, but it would have made for a much more exciting ending and not left such a bitter taste in my mouth. Speaking of bitter tastes, how about that Badger defense? Maybe they should take lessons from the basketball team. Speaking of which, the very next night, the Badgers had to host red-hot Michigan State at the Kohl Center, making a furious comeback in overtime. The Spartans clanged two free throws while up 63-60 with little time remaining, so Taylor rushed the ball up the court, missing the game-tying three. With still a few seconds to go, Ryan Evans grabbed the rebound, stepped outside the three point line, and heaved a prayerrrrrrr...it banked in! Double overtime! Hold up. As is normal protocol with made shots at the buzzer, the referees reviewed the play to see of the shot was released in time. Go figure this was happening 24 hours after another controversial issue involving the Badgers and clocks. Now get this: the stadium clock showed .01 seconds remaining when the ball left Evans' hands, but the clock on the basket showed time had expired, and the red light on the backboard had lit up before Evans released his shot. The made basket was overturned, and on consecutive nights, the Wisconsin Badgers had lost in heartbreaking fashion. Bru. Tal.
To cap off what was a horrid week aside from the Packers in Wisconsin sports (a combined 2-10 record from Jan. 1 - Jan. 8 between GB, WISC, MARQ, MIL), the Bucks lost five games in a west coast road trip. Shocker. Then again, Andrew Bogut missed four of those games dealing with personal issues, so that hurt, but all in all, it's been a rough year thus far for Wisconsin sports. Let's hope the Pack can turn it around this Sunday against the New York Giants, a game I'll try and preview sometime this week. Until then, let's hope Win-sconsin is just taking a short vacation, because 2011 was way too fun.
On a serious note, please keep Joe Philbin and his family in your prayers for the unfortunate event that transpired this weekend in Oshkosh. The news of his son Michael's death is not only saddening, but untimely considering the Packers' preparation for the Giants game, but Joe and his family needs to take the necessary time to grieve their loss and if this means no Philbin on the sidelines this upcoming weekend, so be it. It's hopefully something where the Packer players can rally together for Philbin and play inspired, but first and foremost, let's keep him in our thoughts.
On WIN-sconsin.
Let's begin with the two major Division I college basketball programs, the Marquette Warriors and the Wisconsin Badgers. Both teams, as usual, have fairly hefty expectations and at the very least are expected to reach the NCAA Tournament held at the end of each college basketball season. Well, at this point, it's looking more likely these teams make a trip to the NIT rather than March Madness. Not really...I think. The two teams have a combined two conference wins. They've played a combined seven conference games. The Badgers stand at 12-5. The Warriors stand at 12-4. There are distinguishable reasons as to why each team has hit a proverbial brick wall here in early January just as conference play has picked up. First of all, the Badgers. A team that was at one point ranked in the top six before falling at Chapel Hill to the Tar Heels. Since then, Wisconsin has fallen AT HOME to Marquette, Michigan State, and most embarrassing of all, Iowa. Back in 2009, the Badgers had a pretty rough stretch such as this one when they dropped six games in a row, and they still managed to make the tournament (only to get blown out of the water by Arizona). In Wisconsin's defense, the schedule this season in Big Ten conference play is lethal, likely only second in difficulty to the Big East...and even between those two it's close. There are four schools in the Big Ten ranked in the top 13, which is ridiculous. The Big East? Only two.
Along with the difficult schedule, the Badgers have been struggling from the field, and I mean struggling. For some reason, this team, specifically Jordan Taylor, decides to wait until the final five minutes of the game to show up and make shots. We've all seen this before, but this season it hasn't been enough. Against Michigan State last Tuesday, the Badgers rallied to force overtime and then once again rallied to nearly force another overtime, only to have a banked-in three as time expired from Ryan Evans waved off. I'll get to Wisconsin's athletic teams inability to get plays off in time in a moment. What it comes down to is this: Jordan Taylor hasn't been who he was expected to be this season, this team consists of a bunch of role players and the schedule has been difficult. Will they still make the tournament? I would assume so. Does the schedule start to get a little easier? It would appear that way. But Taylor simply needs to play better because as far as star-power is concerned, he's all the Badgers have got.
The struggles for Marquette are much more understandable, in my opinion. I'll start with the Chris Otule injury. Otule is now confirmed to be out for the season after suffering an ACL injury during non-conference play against Washington. It might be drastic to say this, but this might be the dagger in Marquette's season as far as a potential Big East championship and deep run in the NCAA Tournament is concerned. Now the biggest man on the Warriors' roster is Davante Gardner, who is 6'8" but a load of a man. Otule gave this team the man down low it needed, and he had worked so hard to get where he was in his college career. It just piles on to the depressing news as of late. Moving past Otule, this team still has some depth, plenty of athleticism, and a lot of heart. However, there is still plenty of growing up to do. Aside from seniors Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom, the Warriors are young. They also got thrown right into the Big East gauntlet with games on the road against Georgetown and Syracuse. Marquette had a huge second half collapse against the Hoyas and made a comeback of their own against the Orange, but MU came up just short in each contest. Despite the tough losses, there is plenty to be optimistic about...unlike the Badgers. Besides a game at home against a struggling Louisville team, Marquette doesn't face a ranked opponent until Feb. 18. Barring any sort of letdown, MU should string together some wins here to get back on track.
Getting back to the clock issues. Have you ever seen anything like what happened considering the circumstances at the end of the Rose Bowl and the Michigan State game at the Kohl Center? It's almost comical. Almost. I really have no desire to relive the final "play" of the Rose Bowl game against Oregon, but I kind of lost my cool after what happened and entered a bit of a Twitter debate about whether or not it was the right move to try and spike the football as time expired. First things first, it was terrible execution by Russell Wilson and Peter Konz, who apparently couldn't get the football snapped in two seconds. Whether or not you want to argue that the clock operator was a little too quick on the trigger with starting the clock or if it is solely on Wilson and Konz for not getting the football snapped (I'm still not sure on this one), the Badgers were facing an uphill battle, still 30 yards away from the end zone and down by seven. The game ended 45-38 in favor of Oregon in a game that played out much like many expected. But here's why it was the right decision to try and spike the ball with :02 seconds remaining.
Let's go back to the previous play. I have nothing wrong with the route Nick Toon ran and how he was tackled in-bounds. In college, you can afford to run routes that won't get you out-of-bounds because of how the clock stops on first downs. Toon made the catch and was brought down instantly with two seconds to go in the fourth quarter. Now on the play, Toon was in obvious pain from the hit he took, but another receiver (Abbrederis I believe) helped him onto his feet because, I believe, he was just as confused as me when it came to injured players under two minutes. In the NFL, if a team doesn't have a timeout and time has to be stopped due to an injury with less than two minutes left in the game while the clock is still running, there is a 10-second run-off. There is no such penalty in college football, so Toon technically could have stayed down on the field, and officials would have had to stop play. This would have given the Badgers some time to draw up a play, although the clock would have been started on the referee's whistle just like it was last Monday night. I know what you're screaming at your computer screens right now...then why didn't Toon stay on the ground? Well, Abbrederis pulled him up, probably a natural reaction considering the intense hurry-up mode the Badgers were in, so there's that. Also, since Toon was obviously able to stand (he was up when Wilson was trying to get the ball snapped in time), he wasn't THAT hurt. If he stays down on purpose in order to get the clock stopped, consider these two aspects: first, by rule, he is unable to return for the following play. Who knows...maybe if the Badgers get that spike off, he is able to shake it off and stay in for the next play. There's no denying Toon is not only Wisconsin's finest receiver, but also an NFL-caliber wide-out. Second, can you imagine the outrage from people (especially Oregon fans) if Toon stays down? Toon is not the guy who's going to pull something like that. It challenges the integrity of the game. Sure, if Toon is hurt badly enough to not get up (which wasn't true), then he stays down, but even then there is going to be controversy considering the situation. To close out this extremely lengthy paragraph, consider this...can't there be an easier way to signal to the quarterback the start of play? The head referee is standing BEHIND Wilson, and even though he blows his whistle, it's incredibly loud and the motion he's making with his arm to signal the start of the game clock isn't in Wilson's line of sight. But man do those two seconds go by fast. I'll bet you Wilson thought he had more time to hike that ball. Would it kill football to use a decimal point in their clock when it goes under a minute? This moment brings up so much debate. Kray.
I know that it never should have come down to this had Bret Bielema not burned that stupid second timeout early in the second half because he wanted a challenge on something that didn't need to be challenged, and I know Bielema for some reason can't win the big game, but that's not what I'm arguing here and I think I make a pretty strong case for the Badgers spiking the ball in that situation. Of course, Wisconsin still faced a virtual Hail Mary to even TIE that game, but it would have made for a much more exciting ending and not left such a bitter taste in my mouth. Speaking of bitter tastes, how about that Badger defense? Maybe they should take lessons from the basketball team. Speaking of which, the very next night, the Badgers had to host red-hot Michigan State at the Kohl Center, making a furious comeback in overtime. The Spartans clanged two free throws while up 63-60 with little time remaining, so Taylor rushed the ball up the court, missing the game-tying three. With still a few seconds to go, Ryan Evans grabbed the rebound, stepped outside the three point line, and heaved a prayerrrrrrr...it banked in! Double overtime! Hold up. As is normal protocol with made shots at the buzzer, the referees reviewed the play to see of the shot was released in time. Go figure this was happening 24 hours after another controversial issue involving the Badgers and clocks. Now get this: the stadium clock showed .01 seconds remaining when the ball left Evans' hands, but the clock on the basket showed time had expired, and the red light on the backboard had lit up before Evans released his shot. The made basket was overturned, and on consecutive nights, the Wisconsin Badgers had lost in heartbreaking fashion. Bru. Tal.
To cap off what was a horrid week aside from the Packers in Wisconsin sports (a combined 2-10 record from Jan. 1 - Jan. 8 between GB, WISC, MARQ, MIL), the Bucks lost five games in a west coast road trip. Shocker. Then again, Andrew Bogut missed four of those games dealing with personal issues, so that hurt, but all in all, it's been a rough year thus far for Wisconsin sports. Let's hope the Pack can turn it around this Sunday against the New York Giants, a game I'll try and preview sometime this week. Until then, let's hope Win-sconsin is just taking a short vacation, because 2011 was way too fun.
On a serious note, please keep Joe Philbin and his family in your prayers for the unfortunate event that transpired this weekend in Oshkosh. The news of his son Michael's death is not only saddening, but untimely considering the Packers' preparation for the Giants game, but Joe and his family needs to take the necessary time to grieve their loss and if this means no Philbin on the sidelines this upcoming weekend, so be it. It's hopefully something where the Packer players can rally together for Philbin and play inspired, but first and foremost, let's keep him in our thoughts.
On WIN-sconsin.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
A Year in Review: 2011
I wanted to do one final blog post in the year 2011, but was struggling to find a topic with the Packers forced to wait a few weeks for a meaningful game, NCAA basketball just starting up conference play...and nowhere near tourney time, and the Bucks, albeit garnering more of my attention than I anticipated, not worth talking about until we know for certain they are legit. Oh, and the final verdict on Ryan Braun should be coming up in a few weeks. Can't wait for that! So with that, I decided it would be a good time to, well, relive the good times - the most memorable moments in Wisconsin sports from the year 2011. I regret not doing this for the year 2010, but to be honest, it doesn't even compare to what we witnessed in the past 364 days. After about 15 minutes of research and personal bias, I was able to compile a top 10 Wisconsin Sports Moments list for all of us to enjoy. So before you go out and celebrate the arrival of 2012, the final year for us humans here on Earth, let's marvel in the glory that was the Green Bay Packers, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Wisconsin Badgers, the Marquette [Warriors], and at times, the Milwaukee Bucks (well, not this year).
10. June 27 - Wilson becomes a Badger
Rumors swirled around Madison early summer that former NC State quarterback and minor league baseball player Russell Wilson, who had a year left of eligibility, would make his way to Wisconsin to leave baseball (for the time being) and play under center for the Badgers in 2011. Wilson earned the starting role over Joe Brennan to the surprise of only Brennan's parents and had a spectacular season, finishing second in the nation in pass efficiency while throwing for 2,879 yards, 31 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Those eye-popping numbers, along with the performance of Heisman Trophy candidate Montee Ball, helped lead the Badgers to their second consecutive Rose Bowl where they'll play Oregon on Jan. 2. Without Wilson, the offense likely would have had trouble overcoming their deficiencies on defense and been unable to win the Big Ten. Wilson's signing is one of several off-the-field moments that will make their appearance on this countdown.
9. March - Wisconsin, Marquette reach Sweet 16 (1st for MU since '03)
For the first time since 2005, two Division I schools from Wisconsin had made the Regional Semifinal game, or Sweet 16, in the same year (UWM, Wisconsin). For the first time EVER, Marquette and Wisconsin reached the Sweet 16 in the same year. Neither team had an exceptional regular season, with the Badgers earning a four-seed and the Warriors barely sneaking in with an 11-seed. Unfortunately, each team would lose to their respective opponents, Wisconsin to eventual runner-up Butler and Marquette to North Carolina in rather ugly fashion. Still, because March Madness is one of the most exciting times in sports and this accomplishment never occurred before, it ranks ninth in 2011 Wisconsin sports moments.
8. November 22 - Braun wins MVP
The Milwaukee Brewers had two legitimate MVP candidates after their National League Championship Series run and Central Division Championship in 2011 in Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. Although I truly believed Prince deserved the honor for protecting Braun in the lineup and having an almost equally impressive season, I knew deep down Brauny had a better shot at beating out Matt Kemp for MVP, and that he did. Braun was among league leaders in several categories and ended up hitting .332 with 33 home runs and 111 RBIs. His late-game heroics created hysteria among fans time and time again and I think his clutch ability was what pushed him above Kemp in the voting race for the award. Although Braun is now under scrutiny from Dodger fans who think he should give up the award, now is not the time to be negative...but those idiots can shut their pie-hole. The MVP belongs to Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin.
7. Fall - Rodgers' rewrites the record books
Holy cow. What a year for Aaron Rodgers. Not only was he the Super Bowl MVP back in February, but he's likely to win another MVP award for his ridiculous 2011 NFL season. Assuming A-Rod gets shut down against the Lions on New Years Day, here are his final numbers for the season: 4,643 yards, 68.3 completion percentage, 45 touchdowns, six interceptions, 122.5 quarterback rating. No, this isn't Madden 2012. This is real life. Not only does Rodgers currently have the highest passer rating of all-time throughout a career, he'll break the single season passer rating record. Also, there's not a doubt in my mind Rodgers would have taken the single season completion percentage record away from Drew Brees had our receivers not developed a chronic case of "the dropsies." He also set the Packers' single season record for touchdown passes. I'm certain I'm missing other various records Rodgers took from He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, but let's hope he can do something else that douche never did...win back-to-back Super Bowls.
6. September 23 - Brewers clinch second division title ever
Remember in 2008 when the Milwaukee Brewers clinched their first playoff birth in 26 years? Ryan Braun smacked the go-ahead two-run home run over the left field wall in the eighth inning to beat the Cubs and earn the Wild Card. Once again, a spot in the postseason was on the line when Braun stepped to the plate - in the eighth inning - against the Florida (now Miami) Marlins. Now granted it wasn't the most pressure packed situation with the Brewers having several games left to clinch the division, but the moment was still tense with over 44,000 packed inside Miller Park. With two men on, Braun launched a bomb out of the park to take a 4-1 lead and take the Central Division crown. It's one of those moments in sports where you wish you were there, but luckily there's another moment left on this countdown that I was fortunate to be a part of.
5. The Packers don't lose for 362 days
Dec. 19 was the last time the Green Bay Packers knew the feeling of defeat up until they fell at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 17, nearly a whole year later. I know some of you probably took that loss a little harder than you should have simply because we all forgot what it was like to suffer through a Packer game like we did a few weeks ago. Failing to make history and go 19-0 is a little disappointing, but like the Packers, my main focus is winning the coveted Lombardi Trophy. Rodgers had a career high five touchdown passes last Sunday night and sealed the top seed in the NFC, which was the final remaining regular season goal for the Green and Gold. Perhaps another 362 day stretch of not losing has just begun.
4. December 3 - Badgers win thriller against Michigan State
The Badgers suffered one of the most heartbreaking defeats I can remember when their undefeated season was interrupted by a Hail Mary against the Spartans in East Lansing. Next week's loss against Ohio State wasn't much easier to swallow, and the Badgers all of a sudden faced an uphill climb to even reach the Big Ten Championship Game after having hopes of reaching the National Championship game. Wisconsin still found it's way to Indianapolis, and a familiar opponent stood in their way of grabbing a Rose Bowl birth - the Spartans. Down 39-34, Russell Wilson found sophomore wide receiver Brandon Duckworth on a prayer fourth down throw, much like the one Michigan State threw up several weeks ago, and the Badgers would take the lead on a Montee Ball touchdown run. Punter Brad Nortman's flop would allow the Badgers to keep the ball up to the final whistle, and in two days it will be Wisconsin squaring off against Oregon in Pasadena. Have fun in the Capital One Bowl, Sparty. You earned it.
3. February 12 - #1 Ohio State goes down in the Kohl Center
The unbeaten first ranked Ohio State Buckeyes came into Madison on a crisp, cool February evening to face a talented Wisconsin team led by Jordan Taylor and current Milwaukee Buck Jon Leuer. A legitimate National Title contender led by freshman big man Jared Sullinger and several other veteran players, the 18th ranked Badgers had other plans and knocked off the top team in the country. Fans rejoiced and (rightfully) stormed the court to lift Leuer up on their shoulders and celebrate one of the biggest victories in Wisconsin men's basketball history. Although the Badgers would have a rather disappointing end to their season, this win was one of the most exciting moments in the past 12 months not only in Wisconsin sports, but in college basketball.
2. October 7 - Tony Clutch walks the Crew into the NLCS
In the most exciting moment during my lifetime watching the Milwaukee Brewers (Braun's HR in '08 is a close second), the Brewers' electrifying outfielder Nyjer Morgan stepped to the plate with a man on second and one out in a tie game in the tenth inning. It was Game 5 of the National League Divisional Series and the crowd was on pins and needles, reminding me of the regular season finale I attended between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers when a playoff birth was on the line. Similarly to that game, I was present when Tony Plush punched a base hit into center field, allowing speedster Carlos Gomez to round third and beat the throw home and give the Brewers and exhilarating 3-2 win and a spot in the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Fans stayed for nearly a half hour after the game to celebrate and revel in the moment with confetti floating down all around them. It was the farthest the Brewers had made it in the playoffs since 1982, when they also squared off against the Cards. And just like '82, Milwaukee would fall to St. Louis, but the season was a success and the big off-season moves to bring in Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and Nyjer Morgan and the in-season moves to bring in K-Rod and Jerry Hairston Jr. paid off. Morgan's walk-off Game 5 base hit would be number one almost any other year, except...
1. February 6 - The Packers win Super Bowl XLV
The NFL is the most popular sport in America, and the Super Bowl is the most-watched event in the country year after year. The Green Bay Packers, who sneaked into the playoffs as a six seed with a 10-6 record, were forced to win three road games in order to reach the Super Bowl last season and they did just that, first winning in Philadelphia, then Atlanta, then Chicago, all places of which they had played during the regular season. Now, a team that needed help to reach the playoffs, a team that was 3-3 and 8-6 at different points of the season, a team that had 16 players on injured reserve, had SOMEHOW found its way to Dallas to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 45. Memorable moments included an interception returned for a touchdown by Nick Collins, a couple of thread-the-needle touchdown passes by Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, and of course, the forced fumble by Clay Matthews when the Steelers were driving down the field to take the lead with all momentum on their side. After the fourth down stop by the Packers defense, it was all over and the Lombardi Trophy was back in Green Bay for the first time in 16 years.
Has there ever been a year like this in Wisconsin sports? I don't think so. We witnessed the Badgers in the Rose Bowl, two Sweet 16 teams, the Brewers two wins away from getting in the World Series and the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers...all in the same year! Incredible. To expect anything of the sort in 2012 seems unrealistic, but fans will naturally have higher expectations of all their professional and collegiate teams. One question remains: can the Milwaukee Bucks get the state of Wisconsin on their side and rise to the occasion? We'll see, as they were the only major sports team unable to find success in 2011. Looking forward into 2012, Wisconsin has two top 25 teams, the Rose Bowl game and a one seed in the NFC, but before we bring in the new year, remember the fun ride we had as fans and continue to relive these moments.
On WIN-sconsin.
10. June 27 - Wilson becomes a Badger
Rumors swirled around Madison early summer that former NC State quarterback and minor league baseball player Russell Wilson, who had a year left of eligibility, would make his way to Wisconsin to leave baseball (for the time being) and play under center for the Badgers in 2011. Wilson earned the starting role over Joe Brennan to the surprise of only Brennan's parents and had a spectacular season, finishing second in the nation in pass efficiency while throwing for 2,879 yards, 31 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Those eye-popping numbers, along with the performance of Heisman Trophy candidate Montee Ball, helped lead the Badgers to their second consecutive Rose Bowl where they'll play Oregon on Jan. 2. Without Wilson, the offense likely would have had trouble overcoming their deficiencies on defense and been unable to win the Big Ten. Wilson's signing is one of several off-the-field moments that will make their appearance on this countdown.
9. March - Wisconsin, Marquette reach Sweet 16 (1st for MU since '03)
For the first time since 2005, two Division I schools from Wisconsin had made the Regional Semifinal game, or Sweet 16, in the same year (UWM, Wisconsin). For the first time EVER, Marquette and Wisconsin reached the Sweet 16 in the same year. Neither team had an exceptional regular season, with the Badgers earning a four-seed and the Warriors barely sneaking in with an 11-seed. Unfortunately, each team would lose to their respective opponents, Wisconsin to eventual runner-up Butler and Marquette to North Carolina in rather ugly fashion. Still, because March Madness is one of the most exciting times in sports and this accomplishment never occurred before, it ranks ninth in 2011 Wisconsin sports moments.
8. November 22 - Braun wins MVP
The Milwaukee Brewers had two legitimate MVP candidates after their National League Championship Series run and Central Division Championship in 2011 in Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. Although I truly believed Prince deserved the honor for protecting Braun in the lineup and having an almost equally impressive season, I knew deep down Brauny had a better shot at beating out Matt Kemp for MVP, and that he did. Braun was among league leaders in several categories and ended up hitting .332 with 33 home runs and 111 RBIs. His late-game heroics created hysteria among fans time and time again and I think his clutch ability was what pushed him above Kemp in the voting race for the award. Although Braun is now under scrutiny from Dodger fans who think he should give up the award, now is not the time to be negative...but those idiots can shut their pie-hole. The MVP belongs to Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin.
7. Fall - Rodgers' rewrites the record books
Holy cow. What a year for Aaron Rodgers. Not only was he the Super Bowl MVP back in February, but he's likely to win another MVP award for his ridiculous 2011 NFL season. Assuming A-Rod gets shut down against the Lions on New Years Day, here are his final numbers for the season: 4,643 yards, 68.3 completion percentage, 45 touchdowns, six interceptions, 122.5 quarterback rating. No, this isn't Madden 2012. This is real life. Not only does Rodgers currently have the highest passer rating of all-time throughout a career, he'll break the single season passer rating record. Also, there's not a doubt in my mind Rodgers would have taken the single season completion percentage record away from Drew Brees had our receivers not developed a chronic case of "the dropsies." He also set the Packers' single season record for touchdown passes. I'm certain I'm missing other various records Rodgers took from He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, but let's hope he can do something else that douche never did...win back-to-back Super Bowls.
6. September 23 - Brewers clinch second division title ever
Remember in 2008 when the Milwaukee Brewers clinched their first playoff birth in 26 years? Ryan Braun smacked the go-ahead two-run home run over the left field wall in the eighth inning to beat the Cubs and earn the Wild Card. Once again, a spot in the postseason was on the line when Braun stepped to the plate - in the eighth inning - against the Florida (now Miami) Marlins. Now granted it wasn't the most pressure packed situation with the Brewers having several games left to clinch the division, but the moment was still tense with over 44,000 packed inside Miller Park. With two men on, Braun launched a bomb out of the park to take a 4-1 lead and take the Central Division crown. It's one of those moments in sports where you wish you were there, but luckily there's another moment left on this countdown that I was fortunate to be a part of.
5. The Packers don't lose for 362 days
Dec. 19 was the last time the Green Bay Packers knew the feeling of defeat up until they fell at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 17, nearly a whole year later. I know some of you probably took that loss a little harder than you should have simply because we all forgot what it was like to suffer through a Packer game like we did a few weeks ago. Failing to make history and go 19-0 is a little disappointing, but like the Packers, my main focus is winning the coveted Lombardi Trophy. Rodgers had a career high five touchdown passes last Sunday night and sealed the top seed in the NFC, which was the final remaining regular season goal for the Green and Gold. Perhaps another 362 day stretch of not losing has just begun.
4. December 3 - Badgers win thriller against Michigan State
The Badgers suffered one of the most heartbreaking defeats I can remember when their undefeated season was interrupted by a Hail Mary against the Spartans in East Lansing. Next week's loss against Ohio State wasn't much easier to swallow, and the Badgers all of a sudden faced an uphill climb to even reach the Big Ten Championship Game after having hopes of reaching the National Championship game. Wisconsin still found it's way to Indianapolis, and a familiar opponent stood in their way of grabbing a Rose Bowl birth - the Spartans. Down 39-34, Russell Wilson found sophomore wide receiver Brandon Duckworth on a prayer fourth down throw, much like the one Michigan State threw up several weeks ago, and the Badgers would take the lead on a Montee Ball touchdown run. Punter Brad Nortman's flop would allow the Badgers to keep the ball up to the final whistle, and in two days it will be Wisconsin squaring off against Oregon in Pasadena. Have fun in the Capital One Bowl, Sparty. You earned it.
3. February 12 - #1 Ohio State goes down in the Kohl Center
The unbeaten first ranked Ohio State Buckeyes came into Madison on a crisp, cool February evening to face a talented Wisconsin team led by Jordan Taylor and current Milwaukee Buck Jon Leuer. A legitimate National Title contender led by freshman big man Jared Sullinger and several other veteran players, the 18th ranked Badgers had other plans and knocked off the top team in the country. Fans rejoiced and (rightfully) stormed the court to lift Leuer up on their shoulders and celebrate one of the biggest victories in Wisconsin men's basketball history. Although the Badgers would have a rather disappointing end to their season, this win was one of the most exciting moments in the past 12 months not only in Wisconsin sports, but in college basketball.
2. October 7 - Tony Clutch walks the Crew into the NLCS
In the most exciting moment during my lifetime watching the Milwaukee Brewers (Braun's HR in '08 is a close second), the Brewers' electrifying outfielder Nyjer Morgan stepped to the plate with a man on second and one out in a tie game in the tenth inning. It was Game 5 of the National League Divisional Series and the crowd was on pins and needles, reminding me of the regular season finale I attended between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers when a playoff birth was on the line. Similarly to that game, I was present when Tony Plush punched a base hit into center field, allowing speedster Carlos Gomez to round third and beat the throw home and give the Brewers and exhilarating 3-2 win and a spot in the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Fans stayed for nearly a half hour after the game to celebrate and revel in the moment with confetti floating down all around them. It was the farthest the Brewers had made it in the playoffs since 1982, when they also squared off against the Cards. And just like '82, Milwaukee would fall to St. Louis, but the season was a success and the big off-season moves to bring in Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and Nyjer Morgan and the in-season moves to bring in K-Rod and Jerry Hairston Jr. paid off. Morgan's walk-off Game 5 base hit would be number one almost any other year, except...
1. February 6 - The Packers win Super Bowl XLV
The NFL is the most popular sport in America, and the Super Bowl is the most-watched event in the country year after year. The Green Bay Packers, who sneaked into the playoffs as a six seed with a 10-6 record, were forced to win three road games in order to reach the Super Bowl last season and they did just that, first winning in Philadelphia, then Atlanta, then Chicago, all places of which they had played during the regular season. Now, a team that needed help to reach the playoffs, a team that was 3-3 and 8-6 at different points of the season, a team that had 16 players on injured reserve, had SOMEHOW found its way to Dallas to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 45. Memorable moments included an interception returned for a touchdown by Nick Collins, a couple of thread-the-needle touchdown passes by Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, and of course, the forced fumble by Clay Matthews when the Steelers were driving down the field to take the lead with all momentum on their side. After the fourth down stop by the Packers defense, it was all over and the Lombardi Trophy was back in Green Bay for the first time in 16 years.
Has there ever been a year like this in Wisconsin sports? I don't think so. We witnessed the Badgers in the Rose Bowl, two Sweet 16 teams, the Brewers two wins away from getting in the World Series and the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers...all in the same year! Incredible. To expect anything of the sort in 2012 seems unrealistic, but fans will naturally have higher expectations of all their professional and collegiate teams. One question remains: can the Milwaukee Bucks get the state of Wisconsin on their side and rise to the occasion? We'll see, as they were the only major sports team unable to find success in 2011. Looking forward into 2012, Wisconsin has two top 25 teams, the Rose Bowl game and a one seed in the NFC, but before we bring in the new year, remember the fun ride we had as fans and continue to relive these moments.
On WIN-sconsin.
Friday, December 23, 2011
OFFICIAL 2011-2012 BASKETBALL Preview
That's right. Not just the Milwaukee Bucks are getting previewed in this installment of the Balls, Brats and Beer blog; so are the two major college basketball teams in the state of Wisconsin from Madison and Milwaukee. Why? Because let's face it. I don't care what NBA franchise you are: you don't deserve your own blog post for a season preview, especially when your league couldn't figure out how to play a full season. In all reality, this works out nicely for my seasonal basketball preview. With the strike-shortened season beginning on Dec. 26 for the Buckaroos and conference play starting up for the Badgers the very next day (Marquette starts up Big East play on New Year's Day), now is the perfect time to dissect the big three if you will. To any of you clamoring about me ignoring the great institutions of UW-Milwaukee and UW-Green Bay, consider this: I didn't even preview my own UW Oshkosh Titans' basketball season...or their football team, for that matter. So there. I think I've justified that decision.
2010-2011 Milwaukee Bucks: 35-47, 3rd in Central Division, 9th in Eastern Conference (missed playoffs)
That's right. The Bucks weren't even eliminated from playoff contention until the last week of the regular season, and only missed out of the playoffs by one spot! Gotta love the NBA. Two years ago, the Deer managed to go 46-36 to earn a six seed in, as always, a very weak Eastern Conference. However, times have changed because teams like the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks have loaded up, not to mention the on-the-rise Indiana Pacers and the New Jersey Nets, who will soon not only be moving to Brooklyn, but also likely acquiring Dwight Howard. That's just speculation, but I think it's inevitable. Anyway, back to the Bucks. Last season's result was certainly not a surprise for a few reasons. We obtained a career-loser in Corey Maggette, a move I hated from day one. We resigned John Salmons, who everyone knows only plays well immediately after getting traded to a new team. Andrew Bogut was playing with one arm. Too much was expected of Brandon Jennings, who went through his sophomore slump. Too many teams got better while the Bucks took a step backward. And finally, whenever something big is expected from the Bucks, they don't do something big. So what's changed for the 66-game 2011-2012 season in Milwaukee?
Key losses: G/F Corey Maggettee (traded to CHA), SG John Salmons (traded to SAC), G/F Chris Douglas-Roberts (tear), SG Michael Redd, PG Keyon Dooling, PG Earl Boykins
Key additions: SG Stephen Jackson, G Shaun Livingston, PG Beno Udrih, F Tobias Harris (rookie), F Jon Leuer (rookie), F Mike Dunleavy
Returnees: C Andrew Bogut, PF/C Drew Gooden, PF Larry Sanders, F Jon Brockman, F Ersan Ilyasova, F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, G/F Carlos Delfino, SG Darington Hobson, PG Brandon Jennings
So the Bucks lost six and gained six and got rid of A LOT of extra baggage with Redd's contract and Salmon's corpse. In fact, according to HoopsHype.com, they are under the salary cap, leaving them in good shape in the coming years. I believe that General Manager John Hammond pulled all the right strings during the offseason, getting rid of cancers and potential cancers and replacing them with guys that will contribute and avoid clashing with each other. Last season was a complete disaster chemistry wise due to having a ball-hog like Maggette and the team struggling with injuries, including...well...just about everybody. Now, with an extremely compressed 66-game schedule and even a few back-to-back-to-back stretches, depth is more important to have than ever. Here's a look at how I think the Bucks 12-man roster will shape up on Dec. 26:
PG: Jennings - Udrih (Livingston: Inactive)
SG: Jackson - Delfino (Hobson: Inactive)
SF: Dunleavy - Harris - Leuer
PF: Mbah a Moute - Ilyasova - Sanders (Brockman: Inactive)
C: Bogut - Gooden
I could very well be wrong on this estimate for a few reasons. First of all, head coach Scott Skiles hasn't been at all thrilled with the play of Ilysova and Sanders, who simply make too many mistakes and aren't decisive enough, but their defensive ability will be enough in my opinion to make the 12-man roster. There could also be a debate whether or not both Dunleavy and Mbah a Moute start over Delfino and Gooden, but Mbah a Moute is the team's best defender (Skiles' specialty) and Dunleavy brings a scoring presence along with Captain Jack. There are also some of you who are going to question me putting Leuer on the active roster, but how can you argue with his preseason numbers? Livingston has always been a guy I feel the Bucks eventually part ways with, Hobson needs to do more to earn a roster spot after being a D-leaguer last season and Brockman brings energy, but just doesn't do a whole lot out there. These are not only the 12 guys I want to see on a nightly basis, but they are also the 12 guys I truly think will be on the roster opening night at Charlotte, where we get to see our old friend Corey Maggettee. Again, look at the DEPTH on this team...not bad, right?
Alright. Prediction time. Last season, I thought the Bucks would earn a five seed in the Eastern Conference and make a run at 50 wins...(face palm). Okay, that was stupid. In hindsight, I should have factored in the problems I mentioned before involving injuries, Jennings' slump and Maggette-spaghetti. This season, there are three teams I KNOW will finish better than the Bucks: Miami, Chicago and New York. Who will probably finish better than the Bucks? Indiana, Atlanta, Boston and Orlando. That leaves one more playoff slot in the East, and yes, I believe the Bucks can snag it. They could actually earn as high as a five seed because of the following reasons: Boston is old, making it harder to play a compressed schedule, Atlanta lost Jamal Crawford, a key contributor, and who knows how the Dwight Howard saga will end. With Jennings expected to bounce back (and be healthy), Bogey's right arm back to somewhat-full strength, and new additions I really, really like...
Regular Season Record: 36-30
Playoffs: Six seed, lose in 1st round
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Now for real basketball, the kind that takes place at the college level. The state of Wisconsin has four Division I teams, but there are only two that I consistently follow/give a crap about. The Green Bay Phoenix haven't had much of a program for as long as I can remember while UW-Milwaukee has had it's moments, most recently winning the Horizon League and then losing in the Conference Tournament final to eventual runner-up Butler. That leaves the Marquette Warriors and Wisconsin Badgers. One team plays up-tempo, the other plays slow. One team plays in Madison, the other plays in Milwaukee. One team is mostly white, the other mostly black. BUT, there is one similarity between these two - they both reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, riding the winning wave the Green Bay Packers began in February. Currently, the Warriors stand at 11-1, ranked 10th in the country while the Badgers are 10-2, standing at 14th in the polls.
2010-2011 Marquette Warriors (Golden Eagles): 20-14 (9-9), T-9th in Big East, Sweet 16 in NCAA
After barely sneaking in the tournament last season as an 11 seed, Marquette went on to upset Xavier and fellow Big East member Syracuse to reach the Regional Semifinal against North Carolina, who slaughtered the Warriors by 18. Now led by seniors Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder, the Warriors only defeat so far this season came at the hands of LSU down in Baton Rouge earlier this week. I really didn't think it was fair for the Tigers to march their football team out there, but hey, whatever it takes to win. In college basketball, letdown games come about just as often as someone imitating Aaron Rodgers' belt celebration, so I didn't really get too hellbent over this loss. I think the biggest storyline for Marquette heading into their conference opener against Syracuse on Jan. 1 is the health of Chris Otule, the opening day starter at center. Coming into this season, MU finally had some size with Otule and backup Davante Gardner, but Otule suffered an ACL injury a few weeks back against Washington and the decision to bring him back this season or not is still being mulled over by head coach Buzz Williams. To not have Otule there toward the end of the season puts a lot of pressure on Gardner to pick up the slack and stay out of foul trouble and also brings us back to the typical small lineup Marquette always finds themselves using. Fortunately, their is a ton of talent in that small lineup. Freshman newcomer Todd Mayo (yes, O.J. Mayo's little bro) can flat out score the basketball and sophomore Vander Blue will combine with Mayo to help take the pressure of DJO and Crowder in terms of scoring while transfer and hometown guy Jamil Wilson brings some athleticism and length.
This team has the ability to light up the scoreboard, but can also play the half-court game, which I believe is a valuable asset. Many experts are picking the Warriors to finish toward the top of the Big East among teams like Syracuse, Louisville and Connecticut, and I feel compelled to agree. Of course, a lot of this depends on the senior leadership of DJO and Crowder helping some of the younger guys along as well as the potential return of the 6'11" Otule, but I think this team has what it takes to win 24 or 25 games and earn a 4 or 5 seed in the NCAA tournament. With a fairly favorable conference schedule, my official prediction falls at:
Regular Season Record: 24-8 (13-5), T-3rd in Big East
NCAA Tournament Seed: Four
NCAA Tournament Result: Sweet 16
2010-2011 Wisconsin Badgers: 25-9 (13-5), 3rd in Big Ten, Sweet 16 in NCAA
Every year, the Badgers aren't expected to make much noise in the Big Ten, and every year, they do, because that's just how Bo Ryan rolls. Unfortunately, Ryan's teams never seem to be built for the style of play that wins games in the tournament. You know, teams that shoot the ball before the shot clock reaches .000001 seconds left. Watching the Badgers play basketball is an acquired taste to say the least. Last season, Jon Leuer helped lead Sconnie past Belmont and Kansas State before Leuer completely fell apart against Butler in the Regional Semifinal. With Leuer now in the NBA, Jordan Taylor assumes the leadership role for the Badgers, which we are still waiting to see translate over to the court. He's only averaging 11.8 points per game, but he still has that assist/turnover ratio at an impressive 3.2. I get the feeling that Wisconsin and Taylor are just starting to figure things out, which is good because they kick off Big Ten play at Nebraska two days after Christmas. This team lost two close games to North Carolina and Marquette so far and has also struggled through victories at UWM and vs UNLV as they gear up for what is a daunting Big Ten schedule. There's no question that it's now officially the second toughest conference in the nation. So other than Taylor, who will need to step up this season? The current leading scorer is Jared Berggren at 12.3 PPG, but I suspect JT will soon overtake that category. Ryan Evans is becoming more of a force on the boards and now has a starting role along with forward Mike Brusewitz and guard Josh Gasser, who has improved his jump shot since last season. Speaking of jump shots, sophomore Ben Brust has come out of nowhere to light it up from three on a couple different occasions, so we'll see how often Bo turns to him when the Badger offense needs a spark. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot to talk about regarding what may have been...believe it or not...a slightly overrated team coming into the season.
Sure, Wisconsin may still be able to run the table when it comes to home conference games and still have a successful regular season overall with their slow it down, shot clock draining style of basketball, but it just never seems to bring success in March, which is when a lot of people flip on the NCAA Tournament and actually care about college basketball. Teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois and Indiana are all going to give Wisconsin trouble in what is one of the strongest Big Ten fields in quite awhile. With that being said, here is my prediction:
Regular Season Record: 22-8 (11-6), 4th in Big Ten
NCAA Tournament Seed: Five
NCAA Tournament Result: Round of 32
There you have it. No surprise, but I'm predicting each of the three major basketball teams in Wisconsin reach the postseason. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see UWM sneak in there with Butler having a down year. Feel free to chime in with your feelings regarding my predictions and how you feel these teams will fare as we move into 2012, the year humanity will cease to exist.
May everybody have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Stay safe!
2010-2011 Milwaukee Bucks: 35-47, 3rd in Central Division, 9th in Eastern Conference (missed playoffs)
That's right. The Bucks weren't even eliminated from playoff contention until the last week of the regular season, and only missed out of the playoffs by one spot! Gotta love the NBA. Two years ago, the Deer managed to go 46-36 to earn a six seed in, as always, a very weak Eastern Conference. However, times have changed because teams like the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks have loaded up, not to mention the on-the-rise Indiana Pacers and the New Jersey Nets, who will soon not only be moving to Brooklyn, but also likely acquiring Dwight Howard. That's just speculation, but I think it's inevitable. Anyway, back to the Bucks. Last season's result was certainly not a surprise for a few reasons. We obtained a career-loser in Corey Maggette, a move I hated from day one. We resigned John Salmons, who everyone knows only plays well immediately after getting traded to a new team. Andrew Bogut was playing with one arm. Too much was expected of Brandon Jennings, who went through his sophomore slump. Too many teams got better while the Bucks took a step backward. And finally, whenever something big is expected from the Bucks, they don't do something big. So what's changed for the 66-game 2011-2012 season in Milwaukee?
Key losses: G/F Corey Maggettee (traded to CHA), SG John Salmons (traded to SAC), G/F Chris Douglas-Roberts (tear), SG Michael Redd, PG Keyon Dooling, PG Earl Boykins
Key additions: SG Stephen Jackson, G Shaun Livingston, PG Beno Udrih, F Tobias Harris (rookie), F Jon Leuer (rookie), F Mike Dunleavy
Returnees: C Andrew Bogut, PF/C Drew Gooden, PF Larry Sanders, F Jon Brockman, F Ersan Ilyasova, F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, G/F Carlos Delfino, SG Darington Hobson, PG Brandon Jennings
So the Bucks lost six and gained six and got rid of A LOT of extra baggage with Redd's contract and Salmon's corpse. In fact, according to HoopsHype.com, they are under the salary cap, leaving them in good shape in the coming years. I believe that General Manager John Hammond pulled all the right strings during the offseason, getting rid of cancers and potential cancers and replacing them with guys that will contribute and avoid clashing with each other. Last season was a complete disaster chemistry wise due to having a ball-hog like Maggette and the team struggling with injuries, including...well...just about everybody. Now, with an extremely compressed 66-game schedule and even a few back-to-back-to-back stretches, depth is more important to have than ever. Here's a look at how I think the Bucks 12-man roster will shape up on Dec. 26:
PG: Jennings - Udrih (Livingston: Inactive)
SG: Jackson - Delfino (Hobson: Inactive)
SF: Dunleavy - Harris - Leuer
PF: Mbah a Moute - Ilyasova - Sanders (Brockman: Inactive)
C: Bogut - Gooden
I could very well be wrong on this estimate for a few reasons. First of all, head coach Scott Skiles hasn't been at all thrilled with the play of Ilysova and Sanders, who simply make too many mistakes and aren't decisive enough, but their defensive ability will be enough in my opinion to make the 12-man roster. There could also be a debate whether or not both Dunleavy and Mbah a Moute start over Delfino and Gooden, but Mbah a Moute is the team's best defender (Skiles' specialty) and Dunleavy brings a scoring presence along with Captain Jack. There are also some of you who are going to question me putting Leuer on the active roster, but how can you argue with his preseason numbers? Livingston has always been a guy I feel the Bucks eventually part ways with, Hobson needs to do more to earn a roster spot after being a D-leaguer last season and Brockman brings energy, but just doesn't do a whole lot out there. These are not only the 12 guys I want to see on a nightly basis, but they are also the 12 guys I truly think will be on the roster opening night at Charlotte, where we get to see our old friend Corey Maggettee. Again, look at the DEPTH on this team...not bad, right?
Alright. Prediction time. Last season, I thought the Bucks would earn a five seed in the Eastern Conference and make a run at 50 wins...(face palm). Okay, that was stupid. In hindsight, I should have factored in the problems I mentioned before involving injuries, Jennings' slump and Maggette-spaghetti. This season, there are three teams I KNOW will finish better than the Bucks: Miami, Chicago and New York. Who will probably finish better than the Bucks? Indiana, Atlanta, Boston and Orlando. That leaves one more playoff slot in the East, and yes, I believe the Bucks can snag it. They could actually earn as high as a five seed because of the following reasons: Boston is old, making it harder to play a compressed schedule, Atlanta lost Jamal Crawford, a key contributor, and who knows how the Dwight Howard saga will end. With Jennings expected to bounce back (and be healthy), Bogey's right arm back to somewhat-full strength, and new additions I really, really like...
Regular Season Record: 36-30
Playoffs: Six seed, lose in 1st round
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Now for real basketball, the kind that takes place at the college level. The state of Wisconsin has four Division I teams, but there are only two that I consistently follow/give a crap about. The Green Bay Phoenix haven't had much of a program for as long as I can remember while UW-Milwaukee has had it's moments, most recently winning the Horizon League and then losing in the Conference Tournament final to eventual runner-up Butler. That leaves the Marquette Warriors and Wisconsin Badgers. One team plays up-tempo, the other plays slow. One team plays in Madison, the other plays in Milwaukee. One team is mostly white, the other mostly black. BUT, there is one similarity between these two - they both reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, riding the winning wave the Green Bay Packers began in February. Currently, the Warriors stand at 11-1, ranked 10th in the country while the Badgers are 10-2, standing at 14th in the polls.
2010-2011 Marquette Warriors (Golden Eagles): 20-14 (9-9), T-9th in Big East, Sweet 16 in NCAA
After barely sneaking in the tournament last season as an 11 seed, Marquette went on to upset Xavier and fellow Big East member Syracuse to reach the Regional Semifinal against North Carolina, who slaughtered the Warriors by 18. Now led by seniors Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder, the Warriors only defeat so far this season came at the hands of LSU down in Baton Rouge earlier this week. I really didn't think it was fair for the Tigers to march their football team out there, but hey, whatever it takes to win. In college basketball, letdown games come about just as often as someone imitating Aaron Rodgers' belt celebration, so I didn't really get too hellbent over this loss. I think the biggest storyline for Marquette heading into their conference opener against Syracuse on Jan. 1 is the health of Chris Otule, the opening day starter at center. Coming into this season, MU finally had some size with Otule and backup Davante Gardner, but Otule suffered an ACL injury a few weeks back against Washington and the decision to bring him back this season or not is still being mulled over by head coach Buzz Williams. To not have Otule there toward the end of the season puts a lot of pressure on Gardner to pick up the slack and stay out of foul trouble and also brings us back to the typical small lineup Marquette always finds themselves using. Fortunately, their is a ton of talent in that small lineup. Freshman newcomer Todd Mayo (yes, O.J. Mayo's little bro) can flat out score the basketball and sophomore Vander Blue will combine with Mayo to help take the pressure of DJO and Crowder in terms of scoring while transfer and hometown guy Jamil Wilson brings some athleticism and length.
This team has the ability to light up the scoreboard, but can also play the half-court game, which I believe is a valuable asset. Many experts are picking the Warriors to finish toward the top of the Big East among teams like Syracuse, Louisville and Connecticut, and I feel compelled to agree. Of course, a lot of this depends on the senior leadership of DJO and Crowder helping some of the younger guys along as well as the potential return of the 6'11" Otule, but I think this team has what it takes to win 24 or 25 games and earn a 4 or 5 seed in the NCAA tournament. With a fairly favorable conference schedule, my official prediction falls at:
Regular Season Record: 24-8 (13-5), T-3rd in Big East
NCAA Tournament Seed: Four
NCAA Tournament Result: Sweet 16
2010-2011 Wisconsin Badgers: 25-9 (13-5), 3rd in Big Ten, Sweet 16 in NCAA
Every year, the Badgers aren't expected to make much noise in the Big Ten, and every year, they do, because that's just how Bo Ryan rolls. Unfortunately, Ryan's teams never seem to be built for the style of play that wins games in the tournament. You know, teams that shoot the ball before the shot clock reaches .000001 seconds left. Watching the Badgers play basketball is an acquired taste to say the least. Last season, Jon Leuer helped lead Sconnie past Belmont and Kansas State before Leuer completely fell apart against Butler in the Regional Semifinal. With Leuer now in the NBA, Jordan Taylor assumes the leadership role for the Badgers, which we are still waiting to see translate over to the court. He's only averaging 11.8 points per game, but he still has that assist/turnover ratio at an impressive 3.2. I get the feeling that Wisconsin and Taylor are just starting to figure things out, which is good because they kick off Big Ten play at Nebraska two days after Christmas. This team lost two close games to North Carolina and Marquette so far and has also struggled through victories at UWM and vs UNLV as they gear up for what is a daunting Big Ten schedule. There's no question that it's now officially the second toughest conference in the nation. So other than Taylor, who will need to step up this season? The current leading scorer is Jared Berggren at 12.3 PPG, but I suspect JT will soon overtake that category. Ryan Evans is becoming more of a force on the boards and now has a starting role along with forward Mike Brusewitz and guard Josh Gasser, who has improved his jump shot since last season. Speaking of jump shots, sophomore Ben Brust has come out of nowhere to light it up from three on a couple different occasions, so we'll see how often Bo turns to him when the Badger offense needs a spark. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot to talk about regarding what may have been...believe it or not...a slightly overrated team coming into the season.
Sure, Wisconsin may still be able to run the table when it comes to home conference games and still have a successful regular season overall with their slow it down, shot clock draining style of basketball, but it just never seems to bring success in March, which is when a lot of people flip on the NCAA Tournament and actually care about college basketball. Teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois and Indiana are all going to give Wisconsin trouble in what is one of the strongest Big Ten fields in quite awhile. With that being said, here is my prediction:
Regular Season Record: 22-8 (11-6), 4th in Big Ten
NCAA Tournament Seed: Five
NCAA Tournament Result: Round of 32
There you have it. No surprise, but I'm predicting each of the three major basketball teams in Wisconsin reach the postseason. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see UWM sneak in there with Butler having a down year. Feel free to chime in with your feelings regarding my predictions and how you feel these teams will fare as we move into 2012, the year humanity will cease to exist.
May everybody have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Stay safe!
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