The Miami Dolphins' defenses in the mid-1980s were dubbed the Killer B's, as the Dan Marino-less fish started no less than eight players on defense whose name began with the letter "B" — Bokamper, Betters, Brudzinski, Bowser, Blackwood (x2), Baumhower and Barnett.
While Wisconsin has only three members on the team that satisfy the basic requirement for induction into such a group, two of them — sorry, Tanner — had a very notable game Saturday afternoon.
Wisconsin's 49-48 loss to Ohio State was bitter — probably more so than a spoonful of Robitussin with a Keystone Light chaser — but losing out on a chance to share the Big Ten championship and blowing a late lead always are.
But no loss hurt more than the loss of junior Brian Butch, without question. Anyone who watched the 6-foot-11 forward writhe in pain on the Value City Arena floor knows that no loss was more painful than Butch's.
In the four-to-six weeks Butch is out, the team will miss him more dearly than Mr. T misses his gold chains.
However, while Bucky will sorely miss Butch over his recovery time, fans can take joy in the continued emergence of UW's next great point guard, Jason Bohannon.
In a game where the Wisconsin seniors were about as effective as a Swiss cheese umbrella, Bohannon stepped up huge, scoring 11 points and netting all three of his 3-point attempts.
And it appeared for a wee moment as if the freshman drained the game-winning basket, drilling a nothing-but-nylon trifecta from the left corner. Unfortunately, officials ruled that Bo Ryan had called timeout prior to the shot.
Sunday's standout performance is simply the latest evidence that the Grateful Red should be very excited to watch "J-Bo's" career develop. Bohannon might be a rookie, but he plays with the poise of an over-aged player like Danny Almonte.
It was evident from the beginning Bohannon was not your typical freshman. Over UW's first five games he committed zero — repeat — ZERO turnovers and 11 assists, playing at least 16 minutes in each contest and drawing the praise of Ryan.
Like a Playboy cover, that was just a teaser.
Later, in a key road trip to Iowa — where Bohannon was named the state's Mr. Basketball in 2006 — the Marion, Iowa, native received a rude welcoming home from the Hawkeyes' crowd.
Bohannon played just three minutes, but made a lasting impression. While in the game, the point guard was booed like Santa in Philadelphia by the home crowd every time he touched the ball. How did he respond? By calmly hitting a 3 on his first shot.
The following game, Wisconsin saw its 17-game winning streak come to a close against Indiana, where the Badgers experienced maybe the most hostile crowd of the season. Bohannon did what nobody could've expected him to do: maintain his composure. In 20 minutes he tallied three assists, zero turnovers and four huge points.
Since then, the fab frosh has sparked UW's win over Penn State (11 points) and played inspired ball on the road at Ohio State, where so much was on the line. You get the feeling he would keep his cool even if he had a broiler for a dorm room.
While Bohannon is fast becoming a fan favorite — and for good reason — there are still very mixed feelings about Butch in BadgerNation.
Coming to Madison as the most hyped recruit in the school's history, Butch was undersized physically to play right away, needing a redshirt year to build his strength. Once he hit the floor, the Polar Bear experienced growing pains, earning the ire of some fans and ESPN's Doug Gottlieb, who called the forward the Big Ten's most overrated player in the 2003-04 season.
Much like the BCS, Brooks Bollinger and Waffle House, Butch has received way too much criticism. Averaging just shy of nine points and six rebounds, Butch has been more than productive in his UW career: Dave Mader he is not.
It's also important to note that during his career Butch has been driving his mother to chemotherapy treatments, dealing with a bout of mono and having to suffer through several injuries major enough to affect his game or force him to sit out.
However, regardless of your feelings on the Badger big man, this much is for sure — Wisconsin is losing its best rebounder and a key 3-point threat to stretch the defense in Butch.
You think teams were packing the paint on Alando Tucker and UW before? Wait 'til you see what it looks like when the opponents' center doesn't have to leave the paint to guard a perimeter jumper. The area around the basket is going to look like Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras more often than not from now on.
Still, while one Badger went down, another continues to rise up, this time being Bohannon.
It might be of small consolation if Butch's injury directly correlates to a disappointing finish to UW's historic season, but — I'd never thought I'd write this — it's a good time to be a freshman, if only to watch what is shaping up to be a spectacular career blossom.
It's enough to make Sunday's loss bittersweet. Almost.
Dave is a senior majoring in English and journalism. If you have any sentiments on the Polar Bear or J-Bo you can reach him at [email protected].
