SPORTS
Fourth-place finish successful in light of midseason struggles
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by Dave McGrath
Monday, March 6, 2006
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Not all the events of Saturday afternoon worked against Wisconsin. Even though the Badgers fell hard to Iowa here, the team locked up a bye in the Big Ten tournament, which gets underway in Indianapolis Thursday.
By virtue of Illinois' 75-68 victory over Michigan State earlier in the day, the Badgers were guaranteed of finishing no worse than a tie for fourth place in the conference by tip-off of their matchup with the Hawkeyes.
Wisconsin will face Indiana at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Conseco Fieldhouse.
"The Big Ten tournament is just like another season, so we've got to worry about that and be ready," freshman Kevin Gullikson said.
The fourth-place finish for the Badgers is the first time in the Bo Ryan era that Wisconsin has finished outside of the top three in the Big Ten. However, considering the major personnel issues the team had to deal with — losing reserves Greg Stiemsma, Marcus Landry and DeAaron Williams midseason — the campaign is in many aspects a success.
Players and coaches seemed satisfied with the finish, considering the hardships they endured.
"It was a challenge," junior forward Alando Tucker said. "With the loss of our players early [and after] readjusting, it was a big challenge for us. I think it made us tougher, makes us stronger … We stayed tough; I'm not disappointed in the effort we put in each night."
"It is what it is," Ryan said. "But, I'll tell you what: We were right in the mix up until the last week, and they go on the road into the two toughest places [to play] so far this year."
After playing two games in three days, the Badgers will be given plenty of time to rest and prepare for the Hoosiers.
"I still think a lot of the guys feel that we can go far, and we're still talking about winning the Big Ten tournament," junior point guard Kammron Taylor said.
"There is still a lot of basketball to be played, if we can play the normal Wisconsin basketball game," Tucker said.
Gullikson impresses: Although the Badgers as a whole looked to be somewhat fatigued on the court against Iowa, Gullikson, a walk-on from Stillwater, Minn., looked anything but. Statistically Gullikson only pulled down four rebounds and fouled out in 21 minutes, but his defense on Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Greg Brunner was impressive.
"You look at Kevin Gullikson out there working, and what he is doing defensively; he has been so impressive with his energy," Ryan said. "I think if you asked Brunner, he'd probably tell you the same thing. Gullikson did a heck of a job."
True to Ryan's words, Gullikson did draw the attention of Brunner
"I don't remember having played against him at their place, and he isn't someone you would forget," Brunner said after the game, icing his right ankle that he injured late in the game, forcing his early exit. "He was physical, he played hard. He's a tough guy."
Ohio State wraps up Big Ten title: On Sunday afternoon Ohio State put the finishing touches on its first regular season Big Ten championship since the 2001-2002 season and its first out-right conference title in 14 years.
The Big Ten's top team played at home against the last-place unit in the conference, and the results were, as one might expect, an Ohio State thrashing, as the Buckeyes cruised to a 76-57 victory over the Boilermakers.
The win came on Senior Day and was the final home game for four Buckeye starters, Terence Dials, Je'Kel Foster, J.J. Sullinger and Matt Sylvester.
Purdue finished the regular season 0-12 on the road.
