Through a road season that has experienced a fair share of jubilation and disappointment, the men’s basketball team can only be thrilled to contend for the Big Ten championship on its home court.

The Badgers play their final regular-season contest at the Kohl Center Wednesday night as Wisconsin (21-6, 11-4 Big Ten) vies for the Big Ten title against No. 14 Illinois (20-5, 10-4 Big Ten).

Many experts did not even pick the Badgers to finish in the top four in the Big Ten. And now, although the Badgers enjoy a satisfying view from the peak of the Big Ten, they are still only ranked No. 24 in both the AP and Coaches polls.

Despite the Badgers’ lack of national attention, head coach Bo Ryan and the Badger players have been impressed with the enthusiasm and passion of home fans and Grateful Red student section at the Kohl Center. The Badgers have used that fervor to build a 15-0 Big Ten record over the past two seasons at home.

Junior guard Freddie Owens, whose late-game heroics at Minnesota last Sunday boosted the Badgers into first place in the Big Ten, commented on the importance of taking care of the home court when pushing for a conference title.

“When we get in here, we just try and pile up wins, and that’s what we’ve been doing,” Owens said.

Ryan said the Kohl Center capacity crowd should prove to be a pivotal factor in Wednesday’s decisive contest.

“The Kohl Center has been the Kohl Center for a while. The fans here that have bought their tickets have yelled a lot against Northwestern, Indiana, Michigan State, and I’m sure they’re going to get their money’s worth Wednesday night,” Ryan said. “They’ll help these players as much as they can with their energy. I feel pretty good about that, and I think our players do too.”

Senior guard Kirk Penney added that he felt the Grateful Red has been advantageous during the home games this season and provided the extra momentum to put teams away.

“The Grateful Red’s great,” Penney said. “I look out there and see the tie-dye shirts and the black [free-throw] dots; it’s cool to get a theme that other schools can refer to.”

Throughout the season, Penney has evolved into a viable candidate for Big Ten player of the year. Penney, who leads the Badgers in scoring with 16.4 points per game, is playing in his last home game Wednesday night.

Freshman Alando Tucker, who shares a room with Penney on the road, said he appreciates all the leadership he has received from the Badgers’ only senior.

“From the first road trip, he’s showed me the ways of how to handle myself on the road and how to prepare myself before a game and how to handle the crowd,” Tucker said. “We talk about a lot of things and try to have fun and relax, and he’s helped me out a lot this year, and I owe a lot to him.”

Head coach Bo Ryan admired the senior shooting guard for his infinite achievements throughout his tenure at UW.

“I think the University of Wisconsin has been very fortunate to have a player like him, and I think Kirk Penney has been very fortunate to have the University of Wisconsin,” Ryan said. “I think he’s had a chance to do some things here for people that have believed in him from the day he arrived and will always believe in him until the day he leaves. Kirk Penney has been a sponge around all the people that have had a chance to affect his life. Not everybody is like that.”

Although the players appreciate the excitement the home crowd presents, Ryan said the fans should be especially appreciative of Penney’s contributions to the basketball program.

“When a guy like that finishes his days playing at any institution, that’s a day that everybody should be very thankful for, but also know that they only come along every once in a while,” Ryan said.

Prior to Wednesday’s game, Penney will be honored in a ceremony for his stellar contributions the past four seasons. But Penney prefers to celebrate after games.

“Any emotions will be saved for after the game, because right now it’s just a matter of taking care of business, and we really haven’t won anything yet,” Penney said. “We must approach it just as every other game, because I think that’s why we’ve been successful. Wednesday night about 10 or 10:30, hopefully, we [will have] taken care of business.”