Following one of the most memorable years in University of Wisconsin sports history, it seems somewhat shortsighted to name one player “Player of the Year.”

On the gridiron, the Badgers made their first Rose Bowl since 2001; while on the hardwood, UW reached its first Sweet 16 since 2008.

Here, those two sports receive special consideration among the several other Badger sports because they, far and away, have the two most appropriate candidates for Wisconsin player of the year.

In one corner, J.J. Watt. Entering the fall, Watt was expected to be a significant contributor at the defensive end position. Sixty-two tackles, 21 tackles for loss and seven sacks later, Watt was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten and second-team Associated Press and Sports Illustrated All American selection. He became a campus hero for his play on the field, his interaction with the community on Twitter and his charitable efforts at local hospitals and through his Justin J. Watt Foundation. Now, he’s in the National Football League after the Houston Texans selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

In the other, Jordan Taylor. The Badger point guard manned Bo Ryan’s offense efficiently and consistently, leading the nation with a plus-3.8 assist-turnover ratio and the Badgers with 4.7 assists per game. But more than simply a game-manager or facilitator of the offense, Taylor finished right behind Jon Leuer (18.3 points per game) in scoring with 18.1 points per game. As his selection to the 2011 Big Ten All-Defensive Team proved, Taylor was also a lockdown defender, capable of shutting down the top guards in the nation.

While Watt’s monster junior season propelled him to the NFL and the Badgers to a near Rose Bowl victory, Taylor was, simply put, everything for the Badgers men’s basketball team. For that reason, he is the Wisconsin player of the year.

Taylor’s laundry list of accolades is stunning — first-team All American selection by Fox Sports, second-team All American selection by AP, SI, Sporting News, Yahoo! and CBSSports.com — but his singular moments of brilliance defined his 2010-11 season.

None stood brighter than his game against then-undefeated, then-No. 1 Ohio State Feb. 12. With less than 15 minutes remaining in the game, Wisconsin trailed by 15. The Badgers had played a decent first half, trailing just 28-26 at halftime. But out of the break, OSU surged ahead while UW appeared sluggish.

In less than four minutes, the score was tied. Taylor keyed the run with eight straight points and scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half. Wisconsin ultimately won, 71-67.

Up to that game, Taylor was having a good season. After it, he was having a great season, a breakout season and so many more characterizations that cast him as a god on campus. Against Indiana in the second-to-last game of the season, Wisconsin nearly suffered what would’ve been a crushing upset shortly before Big Ten Tournament play — until Taylor scored a career-high 39 points in 39 minutes of playing time. Against Belmont in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, Taylor keyed the Badgers to the next round with 21 points. Against Kansas State in the next round, Taylor had a mediocre game (12 points) — until he blocked the Wildcats’ Jacob Pullen’s attempted game-tying shot with two seconds remaining.

Make no mistake: Watt’s emergence into a star was purely remarkable. He will stand as one of the finest players (and people) the Badgers have ever sent to the pros. But in Taylor, Wisconsin had a player that meant more to his team than anyone else.