☹️ 🏀 HEPBURN GOES DOWN, BADGERS DREAM SEASON ENDS, AS CYCLONES FLATTEN BUCKY! — 54-49

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Courtside Sports Special

March  20, 2022

The Wisconsin Badgers went down to a determined Iowa State Cyclones team in Milwaukee Sunday night in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Tournament. Freshman point guard Chucky Hepburn left the game with a bad ankle injury injury in the first half. 

After that, the Badgers looked totally discombobulated! They played hard, but the disorganized offense was totally inept, bricking shot after shot to kill any comeback chances. The Badgers were truly horrible on threes (2-22), and Iowa State’s smothering defense thwarted any semblance of a consistent inside game. That proved a deadly, season-ending combination for Bucky.

The 49 points was the Badgers’ lowest total of the season. They also committed a season-high 17 turnovers.

Big-10 Player of the Year sophomore Johnny Davis, in what likely was his final game in a Badger uniform, finished with a team-high 17 points on 4-16 shooting and 0-7 on threes. Frankly, he looked like a guy who needs another year of college competition before heading for NBA “prime time.” The rather thin Badger bench was truly horrible, save for senior center Chris Vogt.

The Badgers finish 26-8, far exceeding preseason expectations. But, their end of season slump, losing 3 of their last 4, plus the departure of their second leading scorer, “super senior” Brad Davison and the likely departure of Davis leave next season’s prospects in doubt.

Meanwhile, the Cyclones continued their own dream season by upping their record to 22-12 and moving on to the “Sweet 16” for the first time since 2015. Last year, they won only two games! Many congrats to Iowa State and their coach T.J. Otzelberger, a Wisconsin native. And good luck in the Sweet 16!

Meanwhile thanks to Coach Greg Gard and the Badgers for an exciting season! Also, many thanks to Brad Davison for six great years and Johnny Davis for a season of unexpected thrills.

🏀 FIGHT CLUB: JUWAN HOWARD GOES DOWN FOR FIVE AFTER HIT ON BADGER ASST. COACH! — Apparently, Adult Behavior Not A Job Requirement For U. Mich. Athletics!

Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard
Michigan Head Men’s BB Coach
PHOTO: https://www.marc-gregor.com/Main
Creative Commons License
“Coach Howard is getting some time off to work on his ‘courtside manner.’”

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Courtside Sports

Feb. 22, 2022

Michigan Head Basketball Coach Juwan Howard was suspended Monday for the balance of the regular season (five games) and fined $40,000 for delivering a bizarre “head slap” to Wisconsin Assistant Coach Joe Krabbenhoft following the conclusion of the Badgers dominating 77-63 victory over the Wolverines Sunday afternoon in Madison. The penalty was imposed by the Big-10 Conference. 

Wisconsin Coach Greg Gard was fined $10,000 by the Big-10 for an apparent “illegal touching” of Howard, while two Michigan players and Wisconsin reserve guard Jahcobi Neath were suspended for one game for throwing punches in the televised melee that followed Howard’s assault on Krabbenhoft.

Howard, a former star at Michigan and in the NBA, delivered a “rote apology” for his actions following the suspension. This was after lamely appearing to defend his conduct at the postgame press conference. 

Howard’s claim that he was outraged by a timeout call by Gard with 15 seconds left and that he felt “threatened” in the “handshake line” (which he initially tried to avoid) after being touched on the arm by the 52-year-old, full-head-shorter Gard, who has never “gone after” anyone, failed to pass the “straight face test,” although many members of the media and commentators appeared to accept it at face value. This is the second major “out of control” incident for Howard, who was ejected from a game last season after threatening then Maryland Head Coach Mark Turgeon.

Howard’s childish conduct gained instant national media coverage, overshadowing what should have been the real story: a near perfect second half coached by Gard and executed by his Badger squad. Led by breakout sophomore sensation guard Johnny Davis, who scored 11 straight at one point, the home team broke open a game that had been tied at the half. 

Davis finished with 25 points, 6 rebounds, an assist, and 3 blocked shots on defense. Perhaps, Howard’s frustration with being out-coached by Gard and his team seriously outplayed by Davis and his Badger mates was what really was behind the unusual and uncalled-for outburst.

Coach Gard’s Badgers have been one of the better stories in NCAA Men’s hoops. Unranked preseason and picked to finish in the “lower bracket” of the 14-team Big-10, Bucky is now 21-5, ranked 13th nationally, 12-4 conference, and tied with Illinois for second place, just one-half game behind Purdue for the league lead!  The Badgers beat the Boilermakers earlier on the road on a night featuring another dominating 37-point performance from Davis.

Davis has been the pleasantly unexpected difference. As a freshman “off the bench” last season, he averaged 7 points and 4 rebounds per game. His “high game” was 17 points. He was a solid, but hardly awe-inspiring, presence.

This season he averages more than 20 and leads the team in scoring, rebounds, and assists while playing tough defense. He is a serious contender for national player of the year. Davis gets lots of help from his friends: scrappy senior forward Brad Davison, highly skilled junior post forward Tyler Wahl, 7-foot inside-outside threat sophomore center Steven Crowl, and calm, cool, and collected freshman floor leader and point guard Chucky Hepburn. 

While many expect Davis to be off to the NBA after his breakout season, the Badger faithful are savoring every moment of his extraordinary play. He has developed a “step back, off balance, fade away” jump shot that is basically un-defendable, as the Wolverines learned on Sunday.

As for Howard, with the loss, his Wolverines find themselves in jeopardy of missing the “Big Dance,” with a lackluster 14-11 record (8-7, B10). Perhaps, that will give Howard a little more “time off” to work on his anger management and “role model” skills. They certainly need to improve, and fast, if he is to have a future in college coaching. Assistant Coach Phil Martelli, previously the long-time Head Coach at St. Joseph’s, will take the Wolverines’ helm during Howard’s suspension.

🏀MARCH MADNESS: BADGERS COME OUT SNARLING, DEVOUR TAR HEELS IN DANCE OPENER, 85-62!

 

Ferocious Bucky Badger
Bucky Came Out Hungry & Ferocious With A Tar Heel Meal On The Menu, Creative Commons Licenses

🏀MARCH MADNESS: BADGERS COME OUT SNARLING, DEVOUR TAR HEELS IN DANCE OPENER, 85-62!

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Courtside Exclusive
March 20,2021

After staggering into the NCAA Tournament, losers of five of their last six, the senior-laden Wisconsin Badgers (18-12) looked for at least one night like they belong in the Big Dance.

The 9-seed Badgers finally put together a full 40-minute game, eviscerating the 8-seed North Carolina Tar Heels (18-11) in every facet on their way to a very convincing 85-62 win in the first round of the of the NCAA South Regional before a COVID-protocol-limited crowd on Purdue’s home court in West Lafayette, Indiana. The were some Badger fans in the stands, and  they experienced a rare Badger blowout inflicted on a credible opponent.

Senior guards Brad Davison (29 points) and D’Mitrik Trice (21 points) led the #25 Badgers, who drilled 13 of 27 three-pointers. No other Badger was in double figures, although seniors Micah Potter and Aleem Ford chipped in nine apiece.

The Tar Heels’ front line was supposed to dominate. But, the Badgers controlled the boards 37-34, including 28 defensive rebounds to keep the Tar Heels reeling all night. For North Carolina’s Hall of Fame coach, the legendary Roy Williams, this was his initial first round failure after 29 consecutive W’s.

Of course, this year’s mediocre Tar Heel squad, from the middle of an underwhelming ACC pack, yet not without some young talent, bore little resemblance to Williams’s championship-caliber teams of yesterday year. Bucky came into the season with great promise, ranked in the top ten, primarily on the strength of the senior core coming off a Big-10 co-championship in the COVID-halted 2020 season. 

But, the Badgers struggled through the Big-10 season, finishing with a lackluster 10-10 record (17-12 overall), good for only a 6th place finish in conference. Mostly significantly, they were 0-8 against the conference’s premier teams: Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State, and Iowa. They clawed their way into the Big Dance largely by beating up on non-conference foes and Big-10 bottom feeders.

The Badgers led wire-to-wire on Friday night, coming out strong and energetic and keeping up the pressure, leading 40-24 at the half. Nevertheless, Badger fans couldn’t relax because, unlike past Wisconsin squads, this team throughout the season blew some sizable leads with long dry spells that let their opponents seize control.    

Last night was, however, totally different. Although the Tar Heels came out with a much improved offensive showing in the second half, particularly from their “bigs,” the Badgers basically matched or exceeded them basket for basket to maintain, and even expand their halftime lead. The Tar Heels never got closer than 12 points, and the Badgers settled at a comfortable 14-18 lead for most of the stanza.

Most pundits had given Coach Greg Gard’s Badgers a chance against Williams’s slightly favored, yet highly inconsistent, Carolina squad. But, few, if any, saw this complete and convincing blowout coming.

So, at least for one night, the Badgers looked like a team that belongs in March Madness, rather than an imposter whose invitation suggested a past reputation for consistent excellence rather than the current less-than-inspiring group who limped into the NCAAs, after losing to Iowa for the third straight time in the conference tournament.

It’s probably a good thing for the Big-10. Although generally considered the “premier conference” in America during this COVID-infected season, two of the conference’s highly seeded teams, Ohio State (#2) and Purdue (#5), suffered shocking upsets on the first day. Another perennial power, Michigan State, blew a big lead and lost to a lightly regarded UCLA squad in the tournament “play-in” game. 

The Badgers should savor this moment of redemption. Because, their dance is going to get much more challenging tomorrow afternoon when they face the #1 seed Baylor Bears (23-2) at 2:40 PM from West Lafayette. The game will be on CBS and the Bears are an early six point favorite.

Go Bucky!

Bucky Badger
Bucky Badger
UW Mascot

🇺🇸🏆👏🏽⭐️👨🏾‍🎓🏀R.I.P. JOHN THOMPSON: Legendary Georgetown Coach, Mentor, Civil Rights Advocate, Broadcaster Dies At 78 — First African-American Coach To Lead Team To Men’s March Madness Championship 

John Thompson
11/12/1984 President Reagan Patrick Ewing and John Thompson during a photo Op for the cover of Sports Illustrated in the Map Room
Georgetown Hoya
Georgetown Hoya

Legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr. dies 

John Thompson Jr., who led Georgetown to the 1984 national championship and three Final Fours, has died at the age of 78. 

Read Now 

*******************

Coach Thompson’s influence extended far beyond the basketball court. One of his most interesting “stats” is that 74 of 77 of his 4-year players graduated from one of the most academically rigorous universities in the nation! That’s a rate virtually unheard of today! Coach Thompson always preached to his players what was “really important” in life, particularly life beyond sports,

I join the Georgetown Community and the rest of the nation in mourning the death of this great American leader, educator, and role model.

PWS

08-31-20

SPORTS: BADGER HOOPSTERS FINISH IMPROBABLE RUN TO SHARE OF BIG-10 TITLE! Badgers 60 — Hoosiers 56

Brad Davison
Wisconsin guard Brad Davison backs into Indiana guard Rob Phinisee during the first half of the Badgers’ 60-56 win over the Hoosiers on Saturday at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind.
AJ MAST, ASSOCIATED PRESS

SPORTS: BADGER HOOPSTERS FINISH IMPROBABLE RUN TO SHARE OF BIG-10 TITLE! Badgers 60 — Hoosiers 56

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Courtside Exclusive

March 7, 2020.  Left for dead at mid-season, the # 24 Wisconsin Badgers (21-10, 14-6) came back from a 9-point second half deficit to beat the Indiana Hoosiers (19-12, 9-11) in Bloomington, IN on Saturday afternoon. It was Bucky’s eighth straight victory in the tough Big-10. But, it wasn’t easy.

Badger “bigs” Nate Reuvers (17 pts, 7 reb) and Micah Potter (14 & 11) paced the way. Brad Davison (11 & 1) made a key three to give the Badgers the lead for good and calmly sunk two charity tosses to seal the deal. Senior Devonte Green led the Hoosiers with 16, all in the first half.

At one point this season, the Badgers were 13-10, 6-6 and viewed as out of March Madness, particularly after leading scorer Kobe King left the team. But, coach Greg Gard weathered the criticism and held the team together. Better play from Potter, a transfer from Ohio State who only gained eligibility at mid season, junior guard D’Mtrik Trice, and sharp-shooting fifth-year senior Brevin Pritzel enhanced the effectiveness of Reuvers, Davison, and junior Arleem Ford. The Badgers also began knocking down threes that had been clunking off the rim earlier in the season.

The Badgers could win the Big-10 regular season outright if both Michigan State and Maryland lose tomorrow. In any event, they will get a “double bye” into the quarterfinals of the Big-10 Tournament on Friday @ 2:25 EDT. They will play the winner of Thursday’s Rutgers-Michigan matchup.

The Badgers are a lock for the NCAA Tournament, although their seed — probably a 5 or 6, perhaps as high as 4 — will probably depend on how they perform in the Big-10 Tourney. In any event, they are likely to be a “tough out” in the Big Dance. 

Bucky Badger
Bucky Badger
UW Mascot

🏀🏀FINAL FOUR RETRO: Back When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Was Still Known As Lew Alcindor, He Was So Incredibly Great That The White Guys Who Ran The NCAA Changed The Rules To Stop Him — It Just Made Him Even Better! – And, He Never Was Afraid To Stand Up For Black America!

https://theundefeated.com/features/lew-alcindor-kareem-abdul-jabbar-ucla-boycot-1968-olympics/

Johnny Smith reports for theundefeated.com:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is known as one of the greatest basketball players in history. During his 20-year professional career with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, he appeared in 19 All-Star Games, won six championships and collected six MVP awards. In retirement, he has become a prominent cultural commentator and writer, a leading voice on the intersection between sports and politics. Recently, he published a memoir about his collegiate career at UCLA, Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court.

Fifty years ago he was the most dominant college basketball player America had ever seen. Between 1967 and 1969, he led UCLA to three consecutive national titles and an 88-2 record. Yet, his legacy transcends the game; in the age of Black Power, he redefined the political role of black college athletes. In 1968, when black collegians debated boycotting the Olympics, Lew Alcindor, as he was then still known, emerged as the most prominent face in the revolt on campus.

Why did Alcindor refuse to play in the Olympics? To answer that question we have to return to Harlem, New York, in July 1964, the first of many long, hot summers.


HARLEM, 1964

Basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (center), then Lew Alcindor, speaks at a news conference at the Power Memorial High School gymnasium in New York City.

DON HOGAN CHARLES/NEW YORK TIMES CO./GETTY IMAGES

The death of James Powell, a 15-year-old black youth from the Bronx, outraged Alcindor. On a sweltering July day in 1964, outside an apartment building on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Lt. Thomas Gilligan, a white off-duty cop, shot and killed James, piercing the ninth-grader’s chest with a bullet from a .38 revolver. Conflicting accounts grayed a story that many saw in black and white. Gilligan, a 37-year-old war veteran, claimed that James charged at him with a knife, but bystanders insisted that James was unarmed.

Two nights later, on July 18, in the heart of Harlem, a peaceful rally organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) turned into a march against police brutality. Demanding justice for Powell, hundreds of demonstrators surrounded the 123rd Street precinct, some threatening to tear the building apart “brick by brick.” Incensed by decades of racial profiling and violent policing, the angry crowd began hurling rocks and bottles at officers. Suddenly, a scuffle broke out and the cops rushed the protesters, cracking their nightsticks against a swarm of black bodies. In a matter of minutes, violence spread through Harlem like a grease fire in a packed tenement kitchen.

That same night, Alcindor, an extremely tall, rail-thin 17-year-old, emerged from the 125th Street subway station, planning to investigate the CORE rally. Climbing up the steps toward the street, he could smell smoke coming from burning buildings. Angry young black men took to the streets and tossed bricks and Molotov cocktails through store windows. Looters grabbed radios, jewelry, food and guns. The sound of gunshots rang like firecrackers. Trembling with fear, Alcindor worried that his size and skin color made him an easy target for an angry cop with an itchy trigger finger. Sprinting home, all he could think about was that at any moment a stray bullet could strike him down.

“Right then and there, I knew who I was, who I had to be. I was going to be black rage personified, Black Power in the flesh.”

For six days, Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvesant burned. The “Harlem race riots” resulted in 465 arrests, hundreds of injuries and one death. When the smoke cleared, Martin Luther King Jr. visited New York and encouraged black residents to demonstrate peacefully. But Alcindor, like many black youths, had grown impatient with King’s pleas for nonviolence and began questioning the direction of the civil rights movement. That summer, writing for the Harlem Youth Action Project newspaper, he interviewed black citizens who were tired of segregated schools, dilapidated housing, employment discrimination and wanton police violence.

The Harlem uprising fueled his anger toward white America and convinced him more than ever that he had to turn his rage into action. “Right then and there, I knew who I was, who I had to be,” he said a few years later. “I was going to be black rage personified, Black Power in the flesh.” Silence was no longer an option. In the future, he vowed, he would speak his mind.

. . . .

A few days after UCLA beat Dayton for the national title, the NCAA’s National Basketball Committee banned the dunk. The committee argued that too many players got injured stuffing the ball through the hoop or trying to block a player attacking the basket. Coaches were concerned, too, about players breaking backboards and bending rims. Curiously, the committee also claimed, “There is no defense against the dunk, which upsets the balance between offense and defense.” But the truth was that Alcindor threatened the sport’s competitive balance. He upset the balance between offense and defense.

Immediately, critics deemed the dunk ban the “Alcindor rule.” In a time of white backlash against black advancement, the UCLA star interpreted the rule through the lens of race. He could not help but feel like the lily-white committee had targeted him. “To me the new ‘no-dunk’ rule smacks a little of discrimination,” he told the Chicago Defender. “When you look at it … most of the people who dunk are black athletes.

. . . .

Not even the dunk ban could stop Alcindor from dominating the game. In fact, the new restriction made him even better. It forced him to expand his offensive arsenal and develop a devastating signature move: the “skyhook.”

He made it look so easy. With the cool confidence of Miles Davis, Alcindor transformed his game. The skyhook became an innovative expression of individuality and empowerment, a reflection of his intelligence and creativity, an active mind that could see the ball falling through the net like a raindrop the moment the leather sphere touched his fingertips. Over and over again, he pivoted toward the basket, extended his arm toward the sky and gracefully flipped the ball over the outstretched arms of any player who dared to guard him. “Of all the weapons in sports,” Sports Illustrated’s Gary Smith wrote of his skyhook, “none has ever been more dependable or unstoppable, less vulnerable to time, than that little stride, turn, hop and flick from far above his head.”

CLEVELAND, 1967

On June 4, 1967, at 105-15 Euclid Ave. in Cleveland, a collection of some of the top black athletes in the country met with — and eventually held a news conference in support of — world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali (front row, second from left), about Ali’s refusal to be drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967. News conference shows (front row) Bill Russell, Boston Celtics; Ali; Jim Brown and Lew Alcindor. Back row (left to right): Carl Stokes, Democratic state representative; Walter Beach, Cleveland Browns; Bobby Mitchell, Washington Redskins; Sid Williams, Cleveland Browns; Curtis McClinton, Kansas City Chiefs; Willie Davis, Green Bay Packers; Jim Shorter, former Brown; and John Wooten, Cleveland Browns.

BETTMAN/GETTY IMAGES

Alcindor refused to let the white world define him as a basketball player and as a man. He no longer considered himself a “Negro.” He was black and proud. As he became more politically self-aware, he identified with the most successful, outspoken black professional athletes in America: Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell and Jim Brown. He admired their political activism and their courage to confront white supremacy.

. . . .

Alcindor suddenly found himself at the center of a national controversy. Critics called him a disgrace, unpatriotic and much worse. If he did not play for the U.S. Olympic team, then UCLA should revoke his scholarship, they charged. Many white Americans opposed the boycott because they believed that sports were meritocratic and immune to racism. But their objections also revealed discomfort with assertive black athletes who challenged the power structure of American sports, a plantation culture that valued black bodies more than black minds. New York Times columnist Arthur Daley couldn’t imagine Alcindor thinking for himself and suggested that Edwards was exploiting the UCLA star’s fame for personal gain. “I think that charge is sheer idiocy,” Edwards told the San Jose Mercury News. “How can you manipulate anybody like Lew Alcindor?”

But Alcindor was his own man, and his revolt emanated from the deep history of African-American activism and the burgeoning Black Power movement on campus. What the sports establishment failed to recognize was that his experience in Harlem, his identification with Malcolm X and his connection to Ali had transformed the way he viewed protest, patriotism and American sports. How could he stay silent while police brutality, poverty and prejudice afflicted the black community? How could anyone expect him to represent the United States when the moment he confronted the nation’s racism bigots deluged him with hate mail and death threats? How could they expect him to love America when America didn’t love him back?

NEW YORK, 1968

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then Lew Alcindor, sits on the bench at the UCLA-Holy Cross game at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1968.

BARTON SILVERMAN/NEW YORK TIMES CO./GETTY IMAGES

Alcindor had made up his mind. He wouldn’t play for the USA. Although the boycott movement lacked widespread support and ultimately stalled, he and his UCLA teammates Mike Warren and Lucius Allen refused to attend the Olympic trials. His explanation, however, complicated his image as a Black Power hero. Alcindor said that if he participated, then he would miss class and delay his graduation, which was true, but only part of his rationale. He also told a reporter from Life magazine that he and his UCLA teammates “don’t want to get caught in the middle of anything.” He had principles, but discussing them publicly only brought more stress. It was much easier to distance himself from Edwards and the OPHR.

“Yeah, I live here, but it’s not really my country.”

In the summer of 1968, he worked for Operation Sports Rescue, a youth program in New York City. Leading basketball clinics, Alcindor mentored African-American and Puerto Rican youths, encouraging them to get an education. In July, he appeared on NBC’s Today show to promote the program. Co-host Joe Garagiola, a former professional baseball player, began the interview by asking Alcindor why he refused to play in the Olympics. During a heated exchange, Alcindor said, “Yeah, I live here, but it’s not really my country.” Then Garagiola retorted, “Well, then, there’s only one solution, maybe you should move.” It was a common reply among white Americans who demanded accommodation and gratitude from black athletes — a refrain that still exists today.

Alcindor’s comments echoed Malcolm X, who said, “Being born here in America doesn’t make you an American.” If black people were Americans, he argued, then they wouldn’t need civil rights legislation or constitutional amendments for protection. Alcindor recognized that while he was fortunate because of his basketball ability, he couldn’t celebrate his privileged status as long as racial inequality persisted. Only when black citizens enjoyed true freedom could he call America his country.

Although we remember the 1968 Olympics for John Carlos and Tommie Smith’s demonstration on the victory stand, Alcindor was the most famous athlete who avoided the games. More than any other college basketball player, he defined his times, proving also that black athletes could speak their minds and win. No one could tell him to shut up and dribble.

Professor is the Julius C. “Bud” Shaw Professor of Sports, Society, and Technology and an Assistant Professor of History at Georgia Tech. His research focuses on the history of sports and American culture. He is an author whose books include “The Sons of Westwood: John Wooden, UCLA, and the Dynasty That Changed College Basketball,” which explores the emergence of college basketball as a national pastime and the political conflicts in college athletics during the 1960s and 1970s.

*************************************

Read Professor Smith’s full article at the link. Not only is Kareem one of the greatest basketball players ever, but he has established himself as an informed, articulate, and committed social commentator. I never saw Kareem play in person during his days with the Milwaukee Bucks. But, Cathy and I once were fortunate enough to see him “live” as a contestant on “Celebrity Jeopardy” at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington DC, ironically a venue where he once would not have been welcome.

PWS

03-31-18

 

THE SLATEST FROM THE SPORTS WORLD — #16 UMBC Pulls “Upset For The Ages” Over #1 UVA In March Madness! — 135 Game Losing Streak For #16 Seeds Ends In Emphatic Fashion! 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

https://slate.com/culture/2018/03/how-no-16-seed-umbc-beat-virginia-and-made-the-mount-rushmore-of-sports-upsets.html

Nick Greene reports for Slate:

“Yes, Virginia, There Is a Cinderella

How No. 16 seed UMBC pulled off the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history.

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 16: Jairus Lyles #10 of the UMBC Retrievers reacts after a score against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Jairus Lyles #10 of the UMBC Retrievers reacts after a score against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

It happened. It actually happened. At the 136th time of asking, a No. 16 seed finally beat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. And it wasn’t even close. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Retrievers absolutely pantsed the top-ranked Virginia Cavaliers, 74-54.

How did this happen? Forgive me for getting technical, but the Retrievers kicked Virginia’s butt.

Virginia plays slow. No one in the country plays at a slower tempo. Given the environmental predicament in which we currently find ourselves, calling them “glacial” would be woefully inappropriate. They operate on a cosmic timeline. They grind you into dust with defense and wait for that dust to evaporate. But the Retrievers were impatient. They were having none of Virginia’s slow-cooked nonsense.

Teensy Retrievers point guard K.J. Maura kept pushing the pace and setting up his teammates in rhythm for three-pointers. Against Virginia’s all-universe defense, UMBC went 12 for 24 from behind the arc.

There was no shortage of great individual performances. Forward Arkel Lamar scored 12 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Joe Sherburne added 14.

And then there’s Jairus Lyles. The senior guard was nothing short of heroic. He went 9 for 11 from the field, drove at will, and finished a variety of circus shots at the rim. Lyles played through cramps throughout the second half, but he still finished with 28 points. All that’s left is to figure out who will play him in the movie.

I mean, just look at this guy.

The game was tied at halftime, 21-21, but it only took four minutes for the Retrievers to burst to a 14-point lead in the second half. It was the biggest deficit Virginia had faced all season. That deficit would get bigger. The Cavaliers are supposed to be the boa constrictor, not the hare—forgive me, Aesop—and they had no clue how to catch up. UMBC was relentless, and it was a joy to watch.

Sure, Virginia played without the injured De’Andre Hunter, the Cavaliers’ most versatile defender, but cutting them any slack would be needlessly charitable. They came in as the tournament’s overall No. 1 seed, yet you’d struggle to pick a single moment from Friday night in which the Cavaliers looked to be worthy of sharing the floor with the mighty Retrievers, who needed a last-second shot against Vermont to even make it to the NCAA Tournament. In the end, the Cavs were lucky to only lose by 20.

After the game, Virginia coach Tony Bennett said his team, which finished the year 31-3, had a “historic season.” If there’s a bright side for Virginia, it might be that the Cavaliers had already suffered what’s widely considered the biggest upset in college basketball history, losing to tiny Chaminade as the nation’s top-ranked team in 1982. Naturally, a storied institution like Virginia will take pride in honoring such a cherished tradition.

With its win on Friday night, UMBC improved to 25-10, and they’ll have a chance to make the Sweet 16 with a win over Kansas State on Sunday. Going into the tournament, you would’ve been hard pressed to pick the Retrievers’ best games of the season. Yes, that three-point win over Vermont in the America East title game was nice. But what else? That squeaker against Northern Kentucky in December? Their well-rounded effort against Coppin State?

Now, UMBC can claim the most amazing performance in NCAA Tournament history. But even that’s not going far enough. After the game, TNT’s Kenny Smith compared UMBC over Virginia to Buster Douglas over Mike Tyson and the Miracle on Ice. That’s not hyperbole. The Retrievers just made the Mount Rushmore of sports upsets. Hell, let’s put them on there twice.”

Read the rest of Slate’s coverage of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

We Failed Grayson Allen by Not Hating Him More

How Good Was Loyola-Chicago’s Last-Second Game Winner?

Cody or Caleb? How to Tell Nevada’s Twin Basketball Stars Apart.

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What a “bracket busting stunner!” Go Retrievers!

It’s been a “different” March Madness this year. For the first time in about two decades, my Wisconsin Badgers are “out of the dance” — quite properly since they had their first losing season in about 20 years.  Wait till next year!

The good part, is that I’ve been able to follow the NCAA Men’s BB Tournament with a little more “objectivity” and less stress than usual. And, one of the many “bennies” of being a Federal retiree is that I can now 1) watch every game live on TV, and 2) enter any pool I want to without any of those tiresome (but necessary, I guess) Ethics Office warnings about all the potential civil and criminal penalties for getting “March Madness” at the office! I guess stuff like that doesn’t apply if you’re employed by someone like Warren Buffet. But, hey, want does he know? At any rate, at least Warren’s potential million dollars annually for life payout for the perfect bracket is safe for another year, thanks to the Retrievers! And, “Luna the Dog” our curly coated retriever was pleased with the outcome.

PWS

03-18-18

courtsideSPORTS ROUNDUP🏀🏈⚾️: Congrats To . . .

Patrick Ewing on being named the new head basketball coach of the Georgetown Hoyas. Ewing is one of Georgetown’s all-time greats who led them to an NCAA Championship in 1984 and went on to an NBA Hall of Fame career with the New York Knicks. Good luck Patrick! Go Hoyas! 🏀 (Full disclosure: I am an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown Law.)

The North Carolina Tar Heels and the South Carolina Gamecocks on winning the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball Championships, respectively.🏀

The Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs for great seasons and making their respective NCAA Basketball National Championship Games. Also congrats to Mississippi State for a thrilling win over the previously undefeated and defending champion UCONN Huskies in the National Semifinals.🏀

The UCONN Huskies women’s basketball program and their coach Geno Auriemma for their amazing, record-setting 111 game winning streak, ended by Mississippi State.🏀

Tony Romo for having the smarts to retire from the NFL and move to the broadcasting booth with his mind and body still largely intact. The now-former Dallas Cowboy’s star quarterback will be absolutely dynamite in the booth. And, he probably won’t be “sacked” as many times.🏈

The Washington Nats for a stirring opening day 4-2 victory over the Miami Marlins. Go Nats!⚾️

PWS

04-05-17

 

MARCH MADNESS: Heartbreak!! Gators’ Chiozza’s Buzzer Beating 3-Pointer Ends Badger Run 84-83 In OT!🏀😢

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NY. Just as the Badgers’ season was about to end, senior guard Zach Showalter (14 pts.) hit an impossible 3-point shot, releasing behind the arc as he flew over it to send the Sweet Sixteen game into an unlikely overtime.

In overtime, the Badgers, without senior Vito Brown (10 pts.) who had fouled out, with star senior guard Bronson Koenig (13 pts.) hobbled with a leg injury, and with Ethan Happ  (21 pts.) nursing four fouls, dominated.  Following two free throws by senior forward Nigel Hayes (22 pts.) with 4 seconds remaining, the Badgers held a 83-81 lead and appeared headed to the Elite Eight.

But, the Gators’ junior guard Chris Chiozza returned Showalter’s favor, and then some, by hitting the almost identical shot as the buzzer sounded.  This time, however, the three pointer ended the game and set off a jubilant celebration for the Gators, as they, not the Badgers, moved on to the Elite Eight.

The stunned Badgers could do nothing but watch in dismay and disbelief.  They had squandered their chances.

With under a minute to go in OT, junior Kahlil Iverson (3 pts.) had a chance at a breakaway slam dunk that in all likelihood would have sealed the game. But, somehow, he allowed himself to be “stuffed” by less athletic Gator Canyon Barry (son of NBA great rick Barry).

And, this time, the Badgers’s crummy free throw shooting (20-30, 67%) cost them the game. Two more free throws down the stretch would have put them in the Elite Eight. Wisconsin also turned the ball over 16 times and committed an amazing 26 fouls to help seal their own fate.

Sophomore KeVaughn Allen led the Gators with a career-high 35 points.  While Chiozza had only 8 points, he scored the final five to secure the victory for the Gators.  Florida (27-9) moves on to play the upstart South Carolina Gamecocks (25-10) in Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup, with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

Meanwhile, the Badgers close their 2016-17 campaign at 27-10. But, for seniors Hayes, Koenig, Brown , and Showalter, who had gone to the Final Four twice in their illustrious careers, there will be no tomorrow, at least at Wisconsin.

PWS

03/25/17

MARCH MADNESS: Badgers Haunted, Motivated By Memories Of Last-Minute Meltdown & Loss To Irish In Last Year’s Sweet 16 — Get My “Instant Pregame Mini-Analysis Here!”🏀😎

http://host.madison.com/wsj/sports/college/basketball/men/badgers-men-s-basketball-sweet-loss-to-notre-dame-a/article_b6812401-2cf9-54c3-857c-a546a9eb9b2e.html

Jim Polzin reports in the Madison Cap Times:

“The moment is fresh nearly 12 months later, partly because the pain still lingers for the members of the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team.

But even if there were a way for the Badgers to wipe the memory of a 61-56 loss to Notre Dame to end the 2015-16 season from their brains, it wouldn’t matter because their coach keeps bringing it up.

“It should stay in their minds since we mention it about every week,” Greg Gard said. “We referred to Notre Dame more than any past opponent, I think, since I’ve been here in terms of how it ended.”

It didn’t end pretty for UW, which self-destructed in the final minute against the Fighting Irish and watched its season come to an abrupt end in the Sweet 16.

The Badgers (27-9) have arrived at the same step on the NCAA tournament ladder a year later. They’ll face Florida (26-8) on Friday night in an East region semifinal at Madison Square Garden in New York.”

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Schmidt’s Instant Pregame Mini-Analysis

In an earlier post, http://wp.me/p8eeJm-tJ I highlighted the factors that could allow Wisconsin to go all the way to the Final Four:  experience, inside play, and Bronson Koenig. All three of those strengths were on abundant display in the first two games as the Badgers downed #9 Virginia Tech and then upset #1 Villanova.

The Badgers also minimized two of the three weaknesses that I thought could make them an “early out:” offensive inconsistency and turnovers.

The other factor was horrible free throw shooting. While the Badgers did have horrible free throw shooting (43%) against Villanova, fortunately it didn’t cost them the game.  Ironically, Villanova, a much better free throw shooting team (71%) missed a key charity toss down the stretch which would have given them a one point lead and might have changed Wisconsin’s strategy last minute strategy of having Nigel Hayes drive for a two-pointer.

Florida plays tough defense.  So, in addition to maintaining offensive consistency and getting continued outstanding play from Koenig, Hayes, Ethan Happ, and Vito Brown, the Badgers will have to hold down the turnovers and sink their free throws to escape the Gators.

Tune in on Friday night @ 10:00 PM on TBS to see what happens, live from Madison Square Garden in NY!

GO BUCKY!

PWS

03/21/17

 

MARCH MADNESS: WSJ: JASON GAY: Much Maligned Big10 Shines As ACC Tanks — Badgers, Wolverines, Boilermakers Storm Into “Sweet 16,” While Duke, UVA, FSU Stumble!🏀

https://www.wsj.com/articles/my-wisconsin-michigan-revenge-fantasy-1489962628

Fellow Badger grad Jason Gay writes:

“I just wanted to enjoy my Monday. Was it too much to ask? The Wisconsin Badgers are back in college basketball’s Sweet 16 for the fourth straight time, having stunned top-seeded Villanova on Saturday—although I wasn’t the least bit stunned, I told you last week it would happen. I predicted Wisconsin all along. Hey Warren Buffett, where’s my million bucks?

It was even better. Not only did my Badgers win, but now they’re coming here—to New York City, my home, for the remainder of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament East Regional.

I was psyched. Psyched for my alma mater Wisconsin, psyched for an NYC invasion of Badger fans (hide your beer and cheese), psyched to parade into work Monday and be an insufferable doofus to all my Journal colleagues with busted brackets and wounded school pride. I was going to march in there with my giant Starbucks and red Bucky Badger sweatshirt, humming “On Wisconsin” and ruining everyone’s day.

I was going to be unbearable. And love every minute of it.

And then…them. You-know-who.

Michigan.

They’ve made the Sweet 16, too. They stunned two-seeded Louisville on Sunday.

It’s a nightmare.”

************************************

Yeah, it was almost, but not quite, enough to make me want to be back at the Arlington Immigration Court wearing my Bucky Badger tie (incorrectly identified as a “grinning weasel” by my dear former colleague Judge Rodger Harris) and whistling “On Wisconsin” and “Varsity” all day in my chambers and in the corridors of justice. All I can say is:

GO BUCKY!

PWS

02/20/17

MARCH MADNESS: Badgers Head to Fourth Consecutive “Sweet 16” After Taking Out Top Seeded Defending Champ Villanova In 65-62 Thriller — Seniors N. Hayes, B. Koenig, & V. Brown Come Up Huge In Clutch As UW Overcomes Late 7 Point Deficit to Win!

BUFFALO, NY — A few weeks ago, some disgruntled Wisconsin fans actually were calling for second-year coach Greg Gard’s head after the Badgers turned in lackluster losing performances against the likes of Ohio State and Iowa. Their once-promising season seemed on the brink of total collapse down the stretch of the Big 10 regular season.

This afternoon, with 5:07 remaining in a “Round of 32” game, and the Badgers trailing by 7 points, it looked like their season was over notwithstanding a valiant effort against the defending NCAA Champs. After all, stars Bronson Koenig and Ethan Happ were both saddled with foul trouble, and Villanova, led by superstar senior guard Josh Hart (19 pts) and freshman sensation guard Donte DiVincenzo (15 pts), was pulling away for the kill.

But, the battle-tested Badgers weren’t yet ready to depart the dance. They rallied behind their senior leaders.

With ice water in his veins, Koenig (17 pts, 2-6 3-pt) drilled a 3-pointer to put the Badgers up 62-59 late. However, a bad exchange between Koenig and senior forward Nigel Hayes resulted in a turnover allowing the Wildcats to pull even at 62.

Then, the “play of the game!” Coming out of a time-out, Hayes (19 pts, 8 rebounds) drove the baseline and made a spectacular “Michael Jordan type” reverse layup to put the Badgers up 64-62 with 11.4 seconds to go.  But, the champs were’t ready to go down.  11.4 seconds is an eternity in March Madness.

Villanova got the ball to Hart who, with Koenig and Happ having to play off with four fouls apiece, drove for a sure-fire tying layup. But, he didn’t count on Badger senior forward Vito Brown, who had broken out of a severe shooting slump by draining 3 of 6 three pointers. Brown stripped Hart, and then was fouled on the play with 3.4 seconds remaining.

Brown hit the first free throw (insuring the Badgers at least a tie). After missing the second, he hustled down to the baseline to help Hayes bottle up Villanova and prevent any chance of a last second shot as time ran out.  Brown, a talented singer, also performed (pre-recorded) during the NCAA/CBS TV “lead in” to today’s game!

The #8 seed Badgers had triumphed! Amid the heroics of Hayes, Koenig, and Brown, the great effort by Happ, who added a huge 12 points and 8 rebounds despite playing most of the game in foul trouble and senior Zach Showalter who had several key defensive plays should not be forgotten.

The classy Wildcats and their even classier coach Jay Wright finish the season at 32-4. And, at least for the next week so, the voices in Madison calling for Greg Gard’s ouster have been silenced.

The Badgers thus head for their fourth consecutive “Sweet 16,” their sixth in seven seasons. The Badgers (27-9) will take on the #4 Florida Gators (26-8) from the SEC in Madison Square Garden, NY.  “Badgers v. Gators” —  a match of two of the most dangerous and ferocious animals known to man (forget that “smiling Teddy-bear version” of Bucky that I post below.  That’s just to throw Bucky’s opponents off.) Game time is 10:00 PM Friday on TBS, with a trip to the “Elite Eight” at stake. Don’t miss it!

GO BUCKY!

PWS

03/18/17

 

MARCH MADNESS: Badgers Get Big Games From Koenig & Hayes To Move By Hokies 84 – 74 — Play #1 Villanova In “Round of 32” On Saturday 🏀

BUFFALO, NY.  The #8 Wisconsin Badgers downed the #9 Virginia Tech Hokies 84-74 in NCAA East Regional First Round action in Buffalo, NY Thursday night. Senior sharpshooter Bronson Koenig led the way with 28 points, including a club-recored 8-17 on three-pointers. Senior forward Nigel Hayes added 16 with 10 rebounds and went 8 of 9 from the free throw line, a remarkable achievement for a 56% free throw shooter coming into the game. The Badgers won the game on the offensive boards where they grabbed 14 to the Hokies 4 on their way to a hefty 33-22 rebounding advantage.

As predicted, the Hokies played the Badgers tough and remained within three points for most of the second half. Senior Zach LeDay had 23 points before fouling out late in his last college game. Ty Outlaw added 16 for the Hokies, who finished the season at 22-11.

The Badgers are now 26-9 and will face the #1 seed Villanova Wildcats (32-3) in the Round of 32 on Saturday.  Villanova beat surprisingly competitive #16 Mt. St. Mary’s 76-56, after trailing most of the first half. Game time is still TBD.

PWs

03/17/17

 

MARCH MADNESS: Badgers Limp Into NCAA Tourney With #8 Seed In East After 71-56 Thumping By Wolverines In B10 Title Game — Will Play Tough #9 Hokies Thursday Night In Buffalo!

The Michigan Wolverines soundly thrashed the Wisconsin Badgers 71-56 in the Big10 title game at the Verizon Center in DC on Sunday afternoon.  The Badgers got off to a credible start, trailing only 33-32 at halftime.  But, an eight minute stretch without a field goal at the start of the second half sealed the Badgers’ fate. Meanwhile, Michigan pulled away with great outside shooting, solid defense, and some fast break points.

The Badgers (25-9, 12-6) hence will go to their 19th consecutive NCAA Tournament as a #8 seed, far lower than many had projected. However, given the Badgers weak schedule and their lackluster performance in the second half of the season, winning just four of their last ten games, the seed seems about right.

The Badgers will have to play much better than they did Sunday against Michigan to get past the tough Virginia Tech Hokies (20-10, 10-8) from the ACC in the round one East Regional game at Buffalo, NY on Thursday night at 9:40 PM. The Hokies are a solid group who can make the three-ball, and they shoot a better percentage from the field and the line than the Badgers.  They are led by third-year coach Buzz Williams, who formerly coached the Badgers’ in-state arch-rival Marquette Golden Eagles.  The winner likely gets the unenviable task of going up against #1 seed and defending champ Villanova on Saturday.

Why the Badgers could go deep:

Experience:  Four of the Badger starters were members of the 2013 and 2014 teams that went to back to back Final Fours.

Inside play: When they are “on” Senior Forward Nigel Hayes and redshirt Sophomore Ethan Happ might be the most formidable “in the paint duo” in the country.

Bronson Koenig:  When he is “feeling it” Senior Guard Koenig is a dangerous, clutch three-point shooter and a reliable playmaker.

Why they probably won’t go far:

Inconsistent offense:  The long dry spell against Michigan unfortunately wasn’t unusual this season. It will be a killer against tournament teams.

Horrible free throw shooting:  In the past, the Badgers have been among the nation’s leaders from the line.  This year, however, they shot only 64%, leaving far too many points on the line.  Happ, their best all-around player, is the worst of the bunch, shooting only 50% from the stripe. This actually makes him a liability down the stretch in close games.

Too many turnovers:  In the past, Wisconsin was known for a disciplined offense and taking care of the ball. This year, however, they have thrown it away with regularity, including in some key situations that cost them games. Just can’t do that against good tournament teams.

PWS

03/14/17

 

 

 

immigrationcourtside Sports: Wisconsin Badger Men’s Buckets Mid-Season Report

The Badger hoopsters outlasted the Indiana Hoosiers today notching a hard-fought 65-60 victory at the Kohl Center in Madison. Redshirt sophomore center Ethan Happ led Bucky with 20 points, adding a key steal and slam dunk down the stretch, while senior forward Nigel Hayes chipped in 15. Neither team was able to shoot the ball in the first half, although the offense picked up some in the second half.

The #10 Badgers remained in first place in the Big Ten with a 9-1 conference record (20-3 overall). They should move up several slots in the rankings this week due to losses by several other top-ten teams over the weekend. Happ is having a stellar season on offense and defense, proving himself to be one of the premier “in the paint” players in the country. He leads the team in just about everything except selling hot dogs during halftime. If he could only make a basket from beyond four feet (he has canned exactly one jump shot this year) he would be virtually unstoppable.

The Badgers appear to be in a strong position for the Big Ten Tournament and will undoubtedly make their 19th consecutive appearance in March Madness, hoping to  improve on their Sweet Sixteen ending last year. With an experienced team and continued great coaching by second year (first full) Coach Greg Gard, the Badgers should be a threat to make an even deeper run toward the Final Four this year.

But, there are a few cautionary notes. Over the last three games, against horrible Rutgers and Illinois and an Indiana team missing key starters, the Badgers were unable to throw a knockout punch despite having a substantial talent advantage. And the Badgers have had problems shooting free throws and turning the ball over, two things that usually are the strength of Badger teams. Recently, the three-point shooting has also been sketchy. For example, the Badgers were only 4-17 from beyond the arc this afternoon. While those things might not kill you against the Illinois, Rutgers, and Penn States of the world, those teams won’t be around at tournament time.

The Badgers next will play at the Nebraska Conhuskers Thursday night.

Meanwhile, over on the gridiron, former Badger star running back James White played a key role in the Patriots exciting 34-28 comeback Super Bowl comeback victory, scoring the winning TD in overtime on a pitch from the amazing Tom Brady and some tough running.

PWS

02/05/17