An exciting game to watch, 65-62 in overtime - with the memorable long distance trey at the end of the game by Ben Brust to send the game to overtime.
It's another amazing season for Coach Bo Ryan. Each season, it seems the experts and pundits have low expectations and each season, Bo's boys find a way to a winning record (never lower than 4th place in the Big 10 final standings).
This year seems especially fun to ride. The team lost their top point guard to injury before the year started, and there were games when the guys just weren't playing the way spoiled Badger fans have come to expect (occasional defensive lapses and poor free throw shooting).
The team kept grinding and playing Bo-ball and here they are with a few weeks left in the season and right in the mosh pit of teams at the top of the standings.
I have only one Bo-moment where I spent time with him. It was back in 1991 as his UW-Platteville teams prepared for the Division III Final Four (Bo won that year and three more times).
The TV station I worked for sent me out to Platteville in far west Wisconsin to interview the coach for a story on the evening news.
What I remember is a very small office, closet, really, and a very intense and charismatic character. (If you've watched the Badgers you know what I'm talking about.) I don't think I spent more than 15 minutes with him, as he waited for me to set up the equipment and then gave a good interview.
My lasting memory of those moments conclude with my thinking on the drive back to the office - that the Badgers needed to hire this man (at this time the Badgers were a long way from a winning program, or even an occasional winning season).
It took some time, and Dick Bennett deserves the credit for the Badgers rising from the ashes, but continued props to this guy from Philly who has become a Badger overtime - so much so that he even looks like a Badger - and a little reminder to my fellow Bucky fans to occasionally remember to appreciate the program renaissance we enjoyed since 1995.
A short personal note to Bo... we're going to be there next Sunday for the home game against the Buckeyes, so let's keep it going!
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