LOS ANGELES – It was a season that started with an injury and question marks surrounding expectations for Wisconsin junior forward Sam Dekker.
But on Saturday night at the Staples Center, Dekker silenced his critics as soon as he drilled a three-pointer over Arizona’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson with 17 seconds left in the West Regional final.
As the ball dropped through the net with the shot clock winding down and Arizona down by just five, Dekker and the top-seeded Badgers put an ever-satisfying rest to any thought of falling out of the tournament and ending one of the most remarkable seasons in program history on a disappointing note.
But the final 17 seconds ticked off the clock after Dekker’s three and for the second consecutive season, Wisconsin was going to the Final Four with an 85-78 Elite Eight win over Arizona.
Dekker, the West Regional’s Most Outstanding Player, scored 27 points in the Badgers’ win over the Wildcats. Twenty of Dekker’s points came in the second half as he hit all five of his shots – which were all 3-point attempts – while hitting six of his seven free throws.
But despite having his play questioned so many times this season, Dekker still sank that final three and played with the confidence in the second half of someone who would stop at nothing short of another trip to the Final Four.
“All in all, it was just a lot of confidence,” Dekker said. “I was put into a position to hit some shots and they were able to go down for me.
“As a team we set some goals of what we wanted to do, and now we’re two games away from our last goal that we had. All our guys came together, and couldn’t be prouder of these guys, and I’m honored to be on this ride with them.”
It was a shot that mirrored the one Dekker hit at the Kohl Center to win the Wisconsin state championship his senior year of high school. A shot that to most doesn’t appear to have a great chance of going in, but with the way Dekker was playing in the second half, it was no surprise that it fell.
“So even though it may have looked tough, to him it was pretty routine,” fifth-year senior Josh Gasser said of Dekker’s shot. “It’s obviously not an easy shot to make, but when he took it, there was no doubt in my mind he had a great shot to go in.”
Wisconsin needed Dekker, or anybody, to step up in the second half, as once again, the Badgers found themselves down at halftime – this time down 33-30.
And it wasn’t just Dekker who led the charge from behind, but rather the entire team that played a nearly perfect second half offensively to secure another fulfilling tournament victory.
Wisconsin missed just four shots in the second half, going 15-for-19 (78.9 percent) overall and 10-for-12 (83.3 percent) from beyond the arc after shooting just 38.5 percent from the floor in the first half and 33.3 percent from three.
After the Badgers took the lead back with 19:16 remaining in the game – on a three by Dekker – they never relinquished it the rest of the game, extending the lead to 11 points twice during the final half.
Arizona fought back, however, cutting down the Badger advantage to seven, 71-64, with just over four minutes left in the game. But after that, Dekker scored 11 of Wisconsin’s next 13 points, delivering two dagger three-pointers.
Despite Dekker’s outstanding second half performance, Big Ten Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky led the Badgers with 29 points and six rebounds. Dekker also had five rebounds while Gasser added 10 points for Wisconsin. All three were named to the West Regional all-Tournament team.
For Kaminsky – who decided to return to Wisconsin last season instead of going to the NBA – Saturday’s win made that decision seem even better.
“A moment like this is the most memorable moments of our lives, and I’m sure we’ll remember this for a very long time, every single guy on this team,” Kaminsky said. “I can’t be more grateful for the opportunity that the school has given me to be put in this position.”
Wisconsin will meet the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats in the Final Four on Saturday, with the winner advancing to the National Championship game next Monday. The Wildcats ended the Badgers’ season in last season’s tournament with a 74-73 win over Wisconsin in the Final Four.
But for now, the Badgers will enjoy the first ever back-to-back Final Fours in program history and achieving a goal that was set nearly a year ago after the loss to Kentucky.
“I’m so proud of these guys to be able to say that they’ve answered the bell in the second half in almost every game we’ve played here in the last seven to 10 games,” Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. “They’re a tough bunch and I hope they don’t change.”
