Sports: Point-counterpoint
Best UW sports moment?
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Also by Ben Solochek and Jonah Braun:
- Best Badger in draft? (April 28, 2009)
- Biggest draft bust? (April 21, 2009)
- What do you miss? (April 14, 2009)
- Best Badger abroad? (April 7, 2009)
- PCP: Best team in Final Four? (March 31, 2009)
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Braun: The UW men’s basketball team had a season to remember. Marcus Landry eclipsed the 1,000-point mark, Joe Krabbenhoft set a new record for games played and the Badgers bounced back to make the NCAA Tournament after losing six consecutive Big Ten games.
But none of that compares to what Trevon Hughes did in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Florida State.
After being down by 31-19 at halftime, the Badgers crawled back to force overtime against the No. 5 seed Seminoles. Hughes wasn’t himself the entire game, taking only three shots before the fateful final seconds.
With seconds ticking away and the Badgers down by one, Hughes drove to the lane with every Badger fan holding their breath. Most were probably thinking, “We’ve seen this before,” and hoping somehow Hughes would find an open player.
Well, that wild runner in the key soon turned into a bucket and a foul — somehow, Hughes gave Wisconsin a two-point lead, one which it wouldn’t relinquish in the final two ticks, pushing the Badgers into the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That play, reminiscent of Hughes’ wildness all year long, was the best moment of the entire year in UW athletics.
So it wasn’t the Sweet Sixteen or a National Championship, but considering all the adversity the Badgers faced during the season, Hughes’ wild runner in the lane gave Wisconsin that ounce of glory it hadn’t had all year long.
Solochek: As exciting as it was to watch Trevon Hughes bury the game-winning shot in the first round of the NCAA Tournament (especially because it was only being televised intermittently while I was in Mexico), there was no more exciting game than the football team’s season finale against Cal Poly last fall.
Despite the positive outcome, the game wasn’t exactly that exciting for a good reason. In theory, the Badgers should have used the game as a tune-up for the bowl season, not have to sweat it out as Cal Poly’s spread offense dismantled a clueless Wisconsin defense.
But, especially on senior night, there was no way Wisconsin was going to let a bunch of West Coasties get in the way of them finishing the season on a high note. As it turned out, neither was the Mustang’s kicker. I don’t know if it was the wind, or maybe there was someone moving the goalposts Christopher Lloyd-style from “Angels in the Outfield,” but those few missed extra points gave the seniors on the field and in the stands a night to remember.
Sure, the football team may have had a less than memorable bowl appearance down in Orlando this winter, but it will be very hard to forget the rollercoaster ride that was, if anything, a fitting end to an up-and-down 2009 Wisconsin football season.
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The badgers almost had a demoralizing defeat to Cal Poly!!! no way is that the number one moment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we almost lost, it was exciting, but imagine how bad it would have been if they made those extra points. It was exciting to say the least, but i wouldn’t say it was the best moment.
how about we give a shot out to one of our only National Champions this year, Our 2009 National Hockey National Championships. In a sport that i hear no one talk about on campus, we should be thankful we won a national title in such a sub par year for Badger Sports. These Badgers are dominate at what they do and know how to get the Job done.
How about that Beliemic Offense for next year?
I think since its coming up soon, the paper should do a retrospective on this decade in sports ( ha should include the 1999 rose bowl team) just amazing where this program has done in the past 10-11 years.
cal poly? are you kidding me? that was a couple of missed kicks away from being one of the worst moments in camp randall. that game should be right up there with the michigan game for one of the worst badger performances of the year. if you want a truly exciting badger football moment for this year, you have to go with the minnesota game.
I would second that — what about the dominant Women’s Hockey team, 3x National Champs in 4 years, the Kazmeier award, and clear total dominance in the sport…