Men’s basketball wrap-up
Led by point guard Devin Harris, the UW men’s basketball team (25-7, 12-4) continued its recent success, finishing one game shy of a third consecutive Big Ten title.
Though Wisconsin failed to capture the conference title, the Badgers won the Big Ten tournament for the first time in school history with a 70-53 victory over Illinois in the championship game. The Big Ten tournament capped a historic regular season, in which the Badgers finished undefeated at home for the first time since 1930.
After opening their NCAA tournament run with a 76-64 win over Richmond, the Badgers fell 59-55 to Pittsburgh in the second round, bringing Wisconsin’s season to a close.
In a remarkable junior campaign, Harris led the Badgers in scoring (19.5 points per game), assists (4.41) and steals (1.75). The Milwaukee, Wis., native ranked second in the conference in scoring and third in assists, finishing among the top 10 in five offensive categories.
Harris became the first player in program history to win the Big Ten Player of the Year award and was named a second team All-American. The standout junior was also a unanimous selection as the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player, a John R. Wooden Award finalist and runner-up for the Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year award. Harris announced yesterday that he will make himself eligible for the NBA draft.
