1. Outright Big Ten Champs
Last Sunday, the men’s basketball team secured at least a share of the Big Ten Title and after two dominant road wins at Minnesota and Ohio State this past week, the Badgers can now lay claim as the sole victors of the conference.
Wisconsin invaded “The Barn” at Minnesota Thursday, trouncing the Gophers 76-63. Senior forward and National Player of the Year candidate Frank Kaminsky scored 25 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out a career-high seven assists in the win.
Junior forward Sam Dekker slammed this dunk home and finished the game with 20 points and eight rebounds.
https://vine.co/v/OEzqW37zq0I
Sunday the Badgers put the beatdown on the Buckeyes for a 72-48 thumping. The 48 points was the lowest point total for Ohio State this season.
Kaminsky went off again (ho, hum) for 20 points and the Badgers ran the Buckeyes right out of their own gym.
Up next for Kaminsky and the Badgers is the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago this week. Top-seed Wisconsin earned a double-bye, so they will not play until Friday at 11 a.m. and take on the winner of Illinois and Michigan.
2. You get an award and you get an award and you get and award!
Accolades poured in from every which way imaginable Monday evening for the men’s basketball team.
Kaminsky was named the unanimous Big Ten Player of the Year and was a First-Team All-Big Ten selection.
Kaminsky averaged 18.4 points per game, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in the 2014-15 regular season. Kaminsky has scored more than 20 points in 10 of his last 15 games.
Dekker was named to the conference’s second team. Dekker is the second-leading scorer for the Badgers, averaging 13.1 points per contest.
For the fourth time in his career, head coach Bo Ryan earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. He was named Coach of the Year by the Big Ten coaches. Maryland’s Mark Turgeon won the media’s Coach of the Year. Ryan’s Wisconsin team, at 28-3, is off to its best start in school history.
Senior guard Josh Gasser was also named to the Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team for the third time in his career while sophomore forward Nigel Hayes earned third-team all-Big Ten honors.
3. Champs!
The women’s hockey team captured its first WCHA title since 2011 this weekend, defeating Bemidji State 4-0 on Sunday.
The Badgers took down North Dakota 4-1 in a semifinal matchup Saturday.
Sophomore forward Sarah Nurse was named the WCHA Final Face-Off Most Outstanding Player after scoring four goals and assisting on two others during the weekend.
Up next for the No. 4 seed Badgers is a first-round NCAA Tournament matchup against Boston University, with a spot in the Frozen Four on the line. The game is at 2 p.m. at LaBahn Arena.
4. Blanked: The Wisconsin men’s hockey team story
2 games. 120 minutes. 59 shots on net.
0 goals.
The Badgers were shutout in both games of a series at Michigan State this weekend, losing 3-0 on both Friday and Saturday. Wisconsin put a season-high 38 shots on goal Saturday against the Spartans.
Wisconsin has now been rendered scoreless in four of its last five contests.
Wisconsin will look to put some pucks in the net this weekend, as it hosts Ohio State at the Kohl Center Friday and Saturday night during the last series of the regular season.
Following this weekend’s series against the Buckeyes, the Badgers will head to Detroit, Michigan for the Big Ten Tournament.
Athlete Tweet of the Week: Sam Dekker who apparently isn’t a fan of yakking.
https://twitter.com/samdek1/status/574996341786546176
