March 15--Before Wisconsin arrived in Chicago to state a strong case as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, the Badgers made a fashion statement when they unveiled new uniforms for the postseason.
The unis feature a giant horizontal stripe and enlarged logos, perhaps designed by someone who tried too hard.
"They have a good feel, but I don't necessarily like how they look," Wisconsin All-America center and clothes critic Frank Kaminsky said. "I don't understand the red stripe in the middle of the shorts but, whatever."
Whatever, because Kaminsky knows that looks don't make the man -- or his team. Wisconsin wearing uniforms their star believes are ugly ideally suits a group sitting pretty this Selection Sunday because of how coach Bo Ryan's best Badgers team instinctively stresses substance over style. And how amusing that Wisconsin so resembled a No. 1 seed in the second half of Saturday's 71-51 victory over Purdue in the Big Ten tournament semifinals that Ryan was asked afterward about the "beautiful basketball" his team played.
"Is it the uniforms?" Ryan cracked.
No, it was the way Kaminsky regained control of the game, after starting slow offensively, with his defense on Purdue center A.J. Hammons, who didn't score in the second half. The way Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig, injured point guard Traevon Jackson's capable replacement who had a career-high 19 points, reminded everybody how deep the Badgers' scoring options go. The way Sam Dekker did enough on both ends to earn a seat next to Ryan postgame after Wisconsin, which trailed by five at halftime, did what Wisconsin does: methodically pound its opponent into submission.
"Frank Kaminsky must really be a good player because he wasn't asked to the press conference after shooting 50 percent with 5-to-1 assists (to-turnover ratio), three blocks, three steals -- and you probably thought he had a bad game," Ryan said.
By Kaminsky's standards, it was. His 12 points and five rebounds were well below his season averages of 18.4 and 8.2. A five-point halftime deficit left the impression the Big Ten really was as bad as the rest of America thought. Purdue led largely because it gave future Wisconsin opponents something to think about by limiting Kaminsky with a more athletic 6-foot-7 Vince Edwards instead of the 7-footer Hammons.
But when Kaminsky scored on the opening possession of the second half, it started becoming obvious Wisconsin had found a button not every team has. Once the Badgers pushed it to reboot mentally, they returned a different team from the first 20 minutes and the same one that has won 30 games.
Wisconsin began taking over after Kaminsky took a charge from Hammons with the game tied 35-35 and pumped his fist on the ground as the partisan Wisconsin crowd roared. A Koenig 3-pointer on the next possession gave Wisconsin its first lead since the 13 minute, 52 second mark of the first half and, after a 14-3 spurt, Ryan recognized his team again. The highlight of the run came when Kaminsky grabbed a rebound, dribbled all the way down the court and distributed the ball to Dekker, whose dunk brought everybody in the converted Madhouse for Madison to their feet.
"Down by five at halftime, win by 20 -- that doesn't happen by accident," Kaminsky said.
By design, there is nothing remarkable about the way the Badgers play. Wisconsin is the college basketball minivan in a lot full of luxury SUVs, the black coffee in a world obsessed with skinny vanilla lattes. Ryan never has coached a more skilled Wisconsin offensive team since arriving in 2001 nor will he enter the NCAA tournament with any higher expectations, reinforced by Purdue coach Matt Painter's postgame compliments.
"I think they have a chance to win a national championship and there are not a lot of (teams) that can say that," Painter said.
Wisconsin's chances of playing for the school's first national title since 1941 increase the longer the Badgers avoid unbeaten Kentucky -- which makes this year's seeding process more important than Ryan wanted to acknowledge. As a No. 1, Wisconsin could avoid Kentucky until the Final Four. The No. 2 seed in Kentucky's region figures never to reach Indianapolis. Duke and Virginia lost Friday night in the ACC tournament, opening the door for a Wisconsin team that would deserve a No. 1 seed if it beats Michigan State on Sunday.
"Seeing some teams lose and us being one game away from a tournament championship, a conference sweep, that would be pretty hard to ignore for the (selection) committee," Dekker said. "That's just my 2 cents."
The value of the Badgers' resume after winning the Big Ten regular season and tournament would be worth the committee agreeing on Wisconsin when making it a top seed.
But when it comes to Badgers basketball, beauty always is in the eye of the beholder.
dhaugh@tribpub.com
