My thoughts on the Alabama game

It has been nearly a week since Wisconsin opened its 2015 season with a 35-17 loss to Alabama and reading around the web, you'd think the Badgers had lost to Florida A&M. Even talking heads such as Tom Dienhart from the Big Ten Network gave the Badgers a grade of a "D" for their performance against the Crimson Tide. Hell, he even gave a higher grade to Indiana, which barely beat the mighty Southern Illinois Salukis last week. Despite an 18-point loss, there were plenty of positives from the game. Obviously, there are things the Badgers will have to work on, but plenty of good things came from this game.

I'll start out with the negatives from the game because of the chicken littles came out in full force after the game. First of all, the offensive line play was obviously not very good in run blocking. However, that is to be fully expected considering the unit has three new starters and has had to battle through constant injuries throughout the offseason and has very little chemistry. It does not help that the makeshift offensive line had to go up against arguably the best front seven in all of college football in the opener. However, the offensive line will only improve as the season goes on. The chemistry will only improve each week. Last year, Ohio State's offensive line looked terrible early in the season, especially in the loss to Virginia Tech, but by the end of the season ended up as one of the best units in the nation. I am not saying Wisconsin's offensive line will improve to be one of the top units in college football, but I think that the Badgers will end up with one of the better offensive lines in the Big Ten once again.

Wisconsin also struggled with defending the run. Alabama's Derrick Henry rushed for 147 yards and three touchdowns on just 13 carries. That's the bad news. The good news is that the Badgers will not face a running back or offensive line as good as Alabama's until Indianapolis against Ohio State if the Badgers were to win the Big Ten West. One of the biggest problems was the tackling. Some of that was bad angles and some was inexperience and just whiffing. The loss of senior captain Michael Caputo really hurt the run defense as he is another man in the box for run defense. Leon Jacobs and T.J. Edwards, the two new inside linebackers, struggled a bit going against the big Alabama offensive line, but they will improve. It also did not help that the Badgers were breaking in a new defensive line.

And finally, Wisconsin struggled defending the middle of the field. The loss of Caputo really hurt. His leadership would have been a huge help for the youngsters in getting players in position. This needs to be corrected in order to make a return trip to Indianapolis.

And now, for the positives from the game and what better way to start it off by mentioning the solid performance by the much-maligned Joel Stave? I basically told everyone who would listen that Stave would have a good season. He made me look pretty smart week one. He looked more confident and accurate. People complained about him not making many throws down the field. He took what the defense gave him. Was he supposed to force the ball downfield to appease you? I liked the fact that he was able to get the running backs involved in the passing game. That had lacked in the Gary Andersen era. Alex Erickson also was impressive. Stave will eventually get Tanner McEvoy involved. I also liked what I saw from Austin Traylor, who had stone hands a season ago.

The Wisconsin outside linebackers may be the best tandem of linebackers in the Big Ten. Vince Biegel was his usual solid self once again and Joe Schobert played great. Schobert played great, even against Alabama All-American tackle Cam Robinson. The outside linebackers are the least of Wisconsin's worries going forward.

Also, the play of the cornerbacks was impressive, especially junior Sojourn Shelton. As a sophomore, Shelton had a major sophomore slump after a solid freshman season. Shelton made some great plays on the ball to break up passes. One play specifically sticks out in the first half when Jacob Coker had a receiver open deep downfield. Shelton, who was initially beaten, recovered to break up the deep pass.

And finally, the coverage teams were fantastic. Alabama averaged less than 12 yards per kick return. Considering all the athletes on Alabama's roster,

I expect to see improvement as the year goes on and it starts tomorrow with a game against Miami of Ohio. The Redhawks are coming off a 26-7 win over Presbyterian, but only led 13-7 after three quarters. Miami has problems in the front seven, so Wisconsin should be able to run the football, no matter who the running back is. If they cannot, then it might be time to start worrying a little bit. But despite an 18-point loss last Saturday, there were plenty of positives for the Badgers.

Flashback Friday: The last time Wisconsin faced Nick Saban

When Wisconsin meets No. 3 Alabama on Saturday, it will mark the first time Wisconsin has played against a Nick Saban coached team since 1999 when the Badgers feasted on Michigan State mistakes to blow out Saban's Spartans 40-10.

It was October 23, 1999, and No. 11 Michigan State came into Camp Randall Stadium a hungry bunch. The Spartans had started 6-0, but were beaten soundly by Drew Brees and Purdue the prior week in West Lafayette 52-28. They had the nation's best rushing defense, allowing just 1.3 yards per carry. The Spartans also had one of the best receivers in college football, Plaxico Burress, who would end up being a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft.

On the other side, Wisconsin came into the season with high expectations. But after rolling over Murray State and Ball State by a combined score of 99-20, Wisconsin was upset by lowly Cincinnati and lost a home date to Michigan in consecutive weeks. After four weeks, Wisconsin was unranked and sitting at 2-2. But there was hope for Wisconsin as freshman Brooks Bollinger, taking over for the injured Scott Kavanagh nearly rallied the Badgers to beat Michigan. The following week, Wisconsin trailed No. 12 Ohio State 17-0 in Columbus before the Badgers scored 42 consecutive points to blast the Buckeyes 42-17 and turn their season around. That win started a nine game winning streak to end the season, including three out of the first four being against ranked opponents. The last of those three games against ranked foes was against the Spartans.

Trying to solve Michigan State's vaunted run defense would be Ron Dayne, who started out a front runner for the Heisman, but after a crucial fumble in the end zone against Cincinnati and disappearing in the second half against Michigan, Dayne's Heisman hopes were fading fast. He rebounded with great games against Ohio State and Indiana before the showdown with the No. 1 rush defense.

Star cornerback Jamar Fletcher had his own issue to worry about: how to slow down Burress. Two weeks prior, Burress had a school-record 255 yards receiving in their 34-31 victory over rival No. 3 Michigan.

Both key matchups were won by Wisconsin in a big way. A big, big way. On Wisconsin's second play from scrimmage, Dayne rumbled for 18 yards, the longest run Michigan State had allowed all season. Two plays after that, Dayne broke loose for a 51 yard touchdown to give the Badgers a 7-0 lead and set the tone for the game. The Great Dayne ended up rushing for 214 yards on 34 carries and added two scores en route to breaking Archie Griffin's Big Ten record for most career rushing yards. As a team, Wisconsin rushed for 301 yards.

While Dayne was running roughshod over Michigan State's defense, Fletcher was locking up the Spartans' All-American wide receiver. Earlier in the week, Fletcher asked to guard Burress. He did not disappoint as Burress only had five receptions for 58 yards and was a complete non-factor. Fletcher also caught two passes of his own, both in Spartans territory setting the Badgers up to add to a big lead.

When the dust settled, Wisconsin rode Dayne to a big win over mistake-prone Michigan State 40-10. That win was the 66th for Barry Alvarez, which made him the all-time winningest coach in Wisconsin football history.

I doubt Wisconsin will have the sort of win tomorrow, but a "W" sure would be nice as the Badgers will play in perhaps their biggest regular season non-conference game ever.

An Ode to Bo Ryan

As many now know, legendary Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan has announced that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season. I knew that Ryan was going to retire relatively soon, but I was still in shock about it. It just seemed like Bo was going to coach forever.

Ten years ago, football head coach Barry Alvarez announced that he would retire at the end of the end of the 2005 season. This is a similar situation this year with Ryan. Alvarez hand picked his successor in Bret Bielema. He was (and still is) the Badgers AD, so he could do that without going through a coaching search. Ryan stated his support for Associate Head Coach Greg Gard to be his successor.

Back in 2001, I remember coming home from school and being so upset upon hearing Wisconsin, led by Brad Soderberg, losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Georgia State. I had no idea who would take over the team. Wisconsin was a decent program. but far from the force it became under the direction of Ryan. The Badgers had gone to the Final Four in 2000, but most consider that a fluke. Wisconsin decided to hire Ryan, who had gone a modest 30-27 in his two seasons at Milwaukee, but it was major progress for a program that had not had back-to-back winning seasons in nearly a decade.

Nobody thought that the Badgers would be where they are today back 15 years ago. Nobody. But that is exactly what he did. He has won four Big Ten championships, including winning his first year when the Badgers had eight scholarship players. Wisconsin had not won a Big Ten championship since 1947, but Ryan won it in each of his first two seasons.

But Ryan was always considered "underrated" by many up until the 2013-14 season. Wisconsin was always considered a good program under Ryan, but never a top program. The Badgers had only made the Elite 8 once in Ryan's 12 years at Wisconsin. The Badgers had consistently made the Sweet 16, but could not get over the hump. Most people thought Wisconsin would have a typical Wisconsin year in 2013-14.....a nice season, finish about fourth in the Big Ten and then lose in the Sweet 16. Then Frank Kaminsky came along. Wisconsin started out 16-0, but lost five of six and many thought the Badgers would struggle to make the tournament. But Bo turned that team around en route to a matchup with Arizona in the Elite 8. 

Prior to the season, Bo Ryan's father Butch passed away. Every year, Bo and Butch went to the Final Four. But in the first season following Butch's death, Wisconsin had a chance to go to the Final Four on March 28. That day would have been Butch's 90th birthday. Wisconsin won 64-63 to give Bo Ryan his first Final Four appearance.

I did not think in my lifetime that the Badgers would play in a college football or basketball national championship game, but that is exactly what happened this past season. Wisconsin knocked off Arizona once again to get to the Final Four, which set the table for the arguably the biggest win in school history. Kentucky was 38-0 and Wisconsin was 35-3. Sam Dekker drained a step back 3-pointer to put the Badgers ahead for good to end Kentucky's undefeated run and get revenge for the Final Four game the year before.

When I was 12 years old, there was no way I thought the Badgers would make it to the championship, but that just shows how far Bo has brought this program.

In this day and age when one-and-dones are the way to go, Ryan has had two players in his tenure leave early, Devin Harris and Sam Dekker, who both left after their junior years. But for the most part, Ryan has done it the old fashioned way, with player development. Kaminsky is a prime example. He started two games in his first two years, and in neither year did he average more than five points per game. He improved to become a first team All-Big Ten player his junior season and was the West Regional's Most Outstanding Player. Then came his senior season. Kaminsky averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in becoming the first Wisconsin player to ever win the Naismith, Wooden and Oscar Robertson Awards. For as much as he improved from his sophomore to junior years, he improved even more between his junior and senior years. He helped the Badgers reach the NCAA title game for the first time since 1941.

Jordan Taylor is another player who improved greatly, and ended up becoming an All-American his junior season at Wisconsin. There are numerous other examples, but these two are probably the most prime examples.

And finally, he is great at turning teenagers who come into Wisconsin as freshmen into men by the time they leave school. Player after player is coming up and telling how Ryan has influenced them and helped them become the man they are today. That is even more important than how he is as a coach on gamedays. 

There are so many great memories with Bo. It is incredible how far the program has come since he took over the program. I do not know how the Badgers can sustain the success, but I have a feeling Greg Gard (if he is indeed hired) will be up to the challenge. With all of the success and accolades on and off the court, one thing is for sure: He will certainly be missed. Not only at Wisconsin, but in the Big Ten and the country as well...

Mock NBA Draft

Draft day is finally upon us and my Minnesota Timberwolves have the first overall pick for the first time in franchise history. I have not made an NBA mock since 2011 (the only reason I remember was because it was the draft with the Morris twins), so I have decided to make one now since the Wolves are picking first...

1) Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky

Towns has the highest upside in the draft, in my opinion. He is kind of like a Kevin Garnett, who the Wolves drafted No.5 overall 20 years ago. If Minnesota gets anything close to Garnett in Towns, it will have been a good pick. The Wolves have struggled on defense and Towns will help be an anchor down low. Nikola Pekovic will also be out until at least January and who knows how many games he will play when does come back.

2) Los Angeles Lakers: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

If I were LA, I would take D'Angelo Russell here, but I am not. Okafor likely will be the pick here, which will bring up a debate whether he and 2014 first round pick Julius Randle can play together. I have my doubts, which is why I would select Russell. Okafor is the best offensive big to come out in years, but his defense is not very good, to put it nicely. If he improves his defense, though, and that is a big if, then he will be one of the best centers in the NBA.

3) Philadelphia 76ers: D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State

I am a big Russell fan. I think he is the second best player in this draft. After trading Michael Carter-Williams during the season, point guard has become a major hole in the 76ers starting lineup. Granted, Philadelphia is probably the least talented team in the NBA, so it could go in any number of directions. They are rumored to be selecting Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis, but that may just be a smokescreen. One of the things that worries me about Russell is that he tended to disappear against better competition. However, the potential is there for Russell to be a big-time guard for many years.

4. New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia

His stock has soared the past few weeks. It is to the point where I believe this is a four person draft and New York will take the last remaining of the four. He was even in discussion to go to LA and No. 2. Orlando is also rumored to be really high on Porzingis, and may try to trade up with Philadelphia to take him. He is a typical European big man, who is a stretch four. He runs the floor well and it is not easy to find a seven footer with his type of athleticism. The Knicks could also take Emmanuel Mudiay here.

5. Orlando Magic: Justise Winslow, SG/SF, Duke

For me, if they are not able to trade up, I think this pick will come down to Winslow against Mudiay. But Orlando selected Elfrid Payton in the first round a year ago, so I think Winslow will be the selection. He is one of the more athletic players in the draft and can knock down the 3. He came up big in the NCAA Tournament, especially against Utah when the Utes made a run to cut into a big Duke lead. Mario Herzonja could also be a pick here.

6. Sacramento Kings: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Congo

Darren Collison is the point guard right now and he is a good one, but it is hard to pass up a talent like Mudiay.. Rudy Gay and Demarcus Cousins are rumored to be on the trading block, so I could see the Kings taking Herzonja or Stanley Johnson here. Mudiay was the No. 1 pick at this time last year, but backed out of a commitment to SMU to play in Congo. He is one of those guys who could go anywhere from 4-7, but I have him going to Sacramento.

7. Denver Nuggets: Mario Herzonja, SG/SF, Croatia

Denver is rumored to be trying to trade point guard Ty Lawson, so if Mudiay falls to the Nuggets at pick seven, it is a slam dunk that he is the pick. The Nuggets like Herzonja and is a good fit for the new Mike Malone offense. He has a lot of potential and I don't see him falling past eight at the latest, but I have him going to Denver.

8. Detroit Pistons: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

Detroit is looking at the small forward position at No. 8. If Herzonja is there, Detroit would take him, but I have them going with Johnson. He has a ton of potential. He has great size for the position, even by NBA standards. Sam Dekker had a great workout with the Pistons and could be another option for them, if they pass on Johnson.

9. Charlotte Hornets: Frank Kaminsky, PF, Wisconsin

Charlotte traded away Gerald Henderson and last year's first rounder Noah Vonleh to Portland for Nicolas Batum, which opens the door for the Hornets to select Kaminsky, the 2014-15 National Player of the Year. The Hornets are rumored to really like him. Kaminsky is one of the best shooters in the draft and has some great post moves. In the Final Four, he was the best player on the court,and he went up against Towns and Okafor, the likely first two picks. The two weaknesses for Kaminsky is that he needs to get stronger to go up against big-time low post players and he also is pretty old for a prospect (he is 22), which makes scouts wonder how much better he can become/

10. Miami Heat: Myles Turner, C, Texas

I am not sold on Hassan Whiteside being able to sustain the type of success he had this year. I do believe he would be a solid rotational big man. Turner is very athletic and has a nice jump shot. He is very raw, but has a lot of potential.

11. Indiana Pacers: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky

Roy Hibbert is falling out of favor with the Pacers and Larry Bird is a big fan of Cauley-Stein's. Cauley-Stein is all defense as he anchored the best defense in modern history this past season at Kentucky, but his offense is virtually non-existent. He also was exposed a bit in the Final Four against Frank Kaminsky, but Frank the Tank did that to a lot of players.

12. Utah Jazz: Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky

Lyles is an intriguing prospect in the fact that he is a bit of an unknown considering he was playing out of position this past season with Kentucky surplus of big men (as evidenced by three going in the top 12 here). He is one of those players that could go anywhere in the teens. I think Utah takes Cauley-Stein if he is here, but they settle for another Kentucky big man.

13. Phoenix Suns: Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin

Dekker is one of those prospects who no one knows for sure where he will be taken. I have seen him as high as eight and have seen him go to Miami a number of times. Many times over his career Dekker would stand at the 3-point line and jack up three pointers. If Phoenix gets that Dekker, then he is second round prospect. But if they get an attacking Sam Dekker like in the NCAA Tournament, especially the North Carolina game, then they are getting a potential steal here at 13. His biggest weakness is his shooting consistency. Everyone saw what he is capable of in the NCAA Tournament, but he needs to do it more consistently. If he does that, he will end up being one of the best players in the draft.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder: Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky

Booker is one of the best shooters in the draft. Oklahoma City could also go with Cameron Payne, but shooting guard is a troubled spot for the Thunder and Oklahoma City could use a great shooter like Booker.

15. Atlanta Hawks: Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas

DeMarre Carroll is a free agent this offseason, so Atlanta could use a small forward. He has a lot of potential. He needs to gain strength, but he has the potential to put Atlanta over the top in the Eastern Conference.

16. Boston Celtics: R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State

Boston is a candidate to trade up. They have plenty of picks. Boston's problem is that it has no stars, but has a bunch of solid players. Hunter was not considered a top prospect before the season, but has launched himself into the first round, even with a subpar season by his standards. He was constantly being double and triple teamed and tended to force shots, which was a big reason why his percentages are not great this year. But make no mistake about it, Hunter is one of the best shooters in the draft and could help Boston out right from the start.

17. Milwaukee Bucks: Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State

Milwaukee is looking to unload Michael Carter-Williams in order to move up, which tells be they are not all that pleased with him after being acquired from Philadelphia. Milwaukee has a nice young nucleus and Payne would a good piece to add to the puzzle.

18. Houston Rockets: Tyus Jones, PG, Duke

It is no secret that Houston wants a point guard. They are reportedly interested in Toronto's Greivis Vasquez and have been linked to Jones, among other point guards. I think they decide on Jones over Jerian Grant to try and help the Rockets get back to the Western Conference Finals and beyond.

19. Washington Wizards: Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas

Washington is surprised to see Bobby Portis here. He is the best player available. He has great size as a power forward. They need a big man to go along with a lethal backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal.

20. Toronto Raptors: Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA

Looney is a very talented big man who, in my opinion, should have stayed in school another year, but has a great deal of potential. He has a solid mid range shot and has potential to be very good at the defensive side of the floor as well.

21. Dallas Mavericks: Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame

Rajon Rondo and J.J. Barea are both free agents and Monta Ellis declined his option,  so he is also a free agent, which leaves Dallas with Devin Harris at point guard. I am a huge Harris fan, but he is on the wrong side of 30, so there needs to be new blood to come in at the position and I think Dallas addresses that with its first rounder.

22. Chicago Bulls: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona

He is limited on offense, but the potential is there. He has done well in workouts and is a great defender. New coach Fred Hoiberg will have a solid piece to build around.

23. Porland Trail Blazers: Justin Anderson, SG/SF, Virginia

After the trade of Nicolas Batum to Charlotte, I have the Blazers replacing him with another wing. I don't see Gerald Henderson as the answer for them. Montrezl Harrell could be another guy they take with LaMarcus Aldridge headed to free agency and unlikely to re-sign in Portland.

24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville

With Kevin Love opting out, making him a free agent, both of Cleveland's power forwards are free agents. I do believe that the Cavaliers will re-sign one of the two, but I don't think they will re-sign them both. Harrell would be a terrific pick for the Cavs as they try to return to the NBA Finals.

25. Memphis Grizzlies: Jarell Martin, PF, LSU

Zach Randolph is getting up there in age, so a power forward would make sense. Martin could sit and play behind Randolph and be ready to play in a few years.

26. San Antonio Spurs: Delon Wright, PG, Utah

Tony Parker is getting up there in age, so an heir apparent would be a wise choice. Gregg Popovich is also still the coach for San Antonio and would help turn Wright into a big-time performer.

27. Los Angeles Lakers: Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV

Vaughn's stock has risen in recent weeks, so he could very easily be picked in the top 20. The Lakers get a potential steal here. Vaughn is a big-time player who could learn under Kobe Bryant in his final years with the Lakers and then row with players like Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and projected second pick Jahlil Okafor.

28. Boston Celtics: Cliff Alexander, PF, Kansas

There is no guarantee that this pick will be made by Boston tonight, but as it is right now, I will have them taking Alexander. He has lottery pick potential, but has not put it all together.

29. Brooklyn Nets: Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville

I like Rozier as a prospect and Deron Williams turns 31 tomorrow and has been on the decline for years. The Nets grab Rozier in hopes of pushing Williams for the starting spot or at the very least, be a capable backup.

30. Golden State Warriors: Chris McCullough, PF, Syracuse

McCullough is a perfect fit for Golden State's up tempo offense. He is lethal in the open court and as young player, it would be beneficial if he is able to sit back and not have to contribute right away. His season ended early due to a knee injury.

Top 10 Bo Ryan era Tournament wins

The tournament is upon us, and the Badgers, a No. 1 seed for the first time in school history, will play No. 16 Coastal Carolina today at 9:20 EST. Throughout the career of Bo Ryan, the Badgers have had a number of thrilling victories in the NCAA Tournament. Here are my top 10:

10, March 19, 2004: No. 6 Wisconsin 76, No. 11 Richmond 64

Wisconsin came in as the No. 10 team in the nation with a high RPI and had a number of nice wins. Most people thought the Badgers would be a No. 3 or maybe a 4, but were put as a 6 by the committee. But to make it up to the Badgers, Wisconsin was put in Milwaukee for the first weekend. Richmond scored the last seven points of the first half to put the Spiders ahead 32-25 at the half. That lead would grow to 42-29 and the Badgers were on the ropes. But the Milwaukee crowd helped get the Badgers back in it. Wisconsin went on a 34-8 run to turn a double digit deficit into a double digit lead. The Big Ten Player of the Year Devin Harris was held scoreless in the first half, but scored 11 in the second half, nine of which came in that run. The Badgers came away with a 76-64 win and Mike Wilkinson scored a game-high 18 points for Wisconsin.

9. March 25, 2005: No. 6 Wisconsin 65, No. 10 North Carolina State 56

It was an unlikely Sweet 16 matchup. The Badgers had defeated No. 11 Northern Iowa and No. 14 Bucknell in the second round. Bucknell made it to the second round after a thrilling upset of Kansas. North Carolina State had upset No. 2 Connecticut to make it to the Sweet 16. Like the Richmond game, the Badgers needed a comeback to win. Unfortunately for Wisconsin, this one was not played in their home state. The Wolfpack led 30-21 at halftime before Wisconsin went on a 32-14 run to start the second half to turn a nine point halftime deficit into a nine point lead. The Wolfpack was able to get it down to four, but they would get no closer as the Badgers went onto their first Elite 8 since 2005. The Badgers would not get to another Elite 8 until 2014.

8. March 16, 2007: No. 2 Wisconsin 76, No. 15 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 63

The Badgers were limping in after being crushed in the Big Ten Tournament championship game. Wisconsin would still be without big man Brian Butch, but the Badgers had their highest seed in program history. The 15 seed was not intimidated one bit early. The Islanders scored the game's first 10 points and jumped out to a commanding 25-7 lead. Wisconsin regrouped and ended the half on a 12-2 run to cut it to eight at the half. After Texas A&M-Corpus Christi grew the lead back to 11, Wisconsin went on a run to tie the game at 47, ending with a Kammron Taylor 3-pointer. Taylor scored 14 straight points for the Badgers to put the Badgers ahead 55-51 with six minutes remaining. The lead continued to grow from there as Wisconsin put away the feisty Islanders 76-63.

7. March 19, 2010: No. 4 Wisconsin 53, No. 13 Wofford 49

Wisconsin was expected to have little trouble with the Terriers from Wofford. The Badgers jumped out a 10 point first half lead and led by eight at the half. Wofford started half two on a 17-8 run to take a one point lead. With the Badgers trailing 48-47, Trevon Hughes was able to force a turnover and get a layup to put Wisconsin ahead 49-48. After a free throw by Wofford to tie the game, Wisconsin had the ball with less than a minute to go. Hughes missed a shot late in the shot clock, but Keaton Nankivil pulled in the offensive rebound. Then with 18 seconds left, Jon Leuer made a shot along the baseline to give Wisconsin a 51-49 lead. Wofford's Cameron Rundles turned the ball over on the next possession and Leuer made both free throws to give the Badgers the 53-49 win.

6. March 19, 2011: No. 4 Wisconsin 70, No. 5 Kansas State 65

Kansas State's Jacob Pullen matched a career-high with 38 points, but when it mattered most, Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor made the plays needed late in the game in order to help the Badgers advance. Wisconsin was ahead 36-27 late in the first half, but Kansas State responded with a 13-0 run, ending with a Pullen 3-pointer with just under 16 minutes to go in the game. With the score tied at 61 with less than two minutes to play, Pullen tried an entry feed into the post, but it was stolen away by Taylor, who pushed the ball up the court and found an open Mike Bruesewitz, who buried a 3-pointer to give the Badgers the 64-61 lead. With the Badgers ahead 66-63, Pullen was fouled on a 3-pointer by Taylor. He made two of three. Taylor was fouled and made both free throws to push the lead to 68-65. On Kansas State's final possession, Pullen had the ball in his hands with a chance to tie. He received the ball and stopped and popped for the triple from the left wing. But Taylor, who had a woeful 2-16 shooting performance and had just fouled Pullen on a 3-pointer a few moments before, stepped up and blocked Pullen's 3-point attempt. Josh Gasser made both free throws to give the Badgers the final margin of 70-65.

5. March 17, 2012: No. 4 Wisconsin 60, No. 5 Vanderbilt 57

Vanderbilt was predicted by many to make a Final Four run. The Commodores just beat the eventual National Champion Kentucky in the conference tournament and were coming off of a first round win against Harvard. After trailing 10-2 early on, Vanderbilt settled in and cut it to 32-31 Wisconsin lead at halftime. The Badgers came back and actually took a nine point lead in the second half, but every time Wisconsin looked like it would pull away, the Commodores came back. Vanderbilt went on a 13-3 run to take a one point lead with less than two minutes to play. But Jordan Taylor made another big shot, this one a 3-pointer to give the Badgers the 59-57 lead. With the score still the same and Vanderbilt with the ball and the clock winding down, sharp shooter John Jenkins missed a 3-pointer that looked good when it left his hand. Ryan Evans secured the rebound and was fouled. He made one free throw to give Wisconsin a 3-point lead. Vanderbilt's last gasp effort was deflected by Jared Berggren on the inbounds pass and the Badgers held on for the win.

4. March 22, 2014: No. 2 Wisconsin 85, No. 7 Oregon 77

Wisconsin has had a habit of coming back from double digit deficits to win tournament games, but none against a team as potent as this Oregon team. After Nigel Hayes made a reverse layup and was fouled, Wisconsin cut the Oregon lead to 30-29. After that, it was all Oregon in the first half as the Ducks went on a 19-6 run to Oregon ahead 49-35 before a Duje Dukan layup to end the half for Wisconsin. But the second half was all Badgers early, as Wisconsin got back into the game thanks to a 27-10 run to take a 64-59 lead. Oregon took the lead back with a Joseph Young 3-pointer with less than three minutes to play 75-74. The key stretch of the game happened a minute later when the Badgers missed three shots, but were able to grab the offensive rebound each time. That led to Traevon Jackson finding Ben Brust for the triple on the right wing. He buried it and Wisconsin took the 77-75 lead. That 3-pointer for Brust made him the all-time leader in 3-pointers made at Wisconsin. Oregon missed the next trip down and Wisconsin made a pair of free throws to push the lead to 79-75. After an Oregon basket, Jackson was only to make one of two free throws. The rebound was ruled a jump ball, despite that it looked like it was wrestled away by Sam Dekker. On Oregon's possession, Joseph Young tried to go for the tie, but he misfired and Wisconsin got the rebound. Dekker made a pair of free throws to put the game on ice. Jackson would make three more free throws to seal the Badgers' trip to Anaheim for the Sweet 16.

3. March 20, 2014: No. 12 Wisconsin 61, No. 5 Florida State 59 (OT)

The Badgers scored 10 points in the first eight minutes in the game.,,,,,and then only nine in the next 12 minutes. Wisconsin led 10-4 and the Badgers were thinking upset early, but Florida State had other ideas, The Seminoles ended the half on a 27-9 run in the final 12 minutes of the first half to grab a 31-19 halftime lead. The Badgers were unfazed and scored the first 13 points of the second half to take a one point lead. Florida State rebounded to take a 44-37 lead, but Wisconsin came back. With Florida State holding a one point lead and the shot clock winding down, Joe Krabbenhoft drove the lane and searched for a teammate before finding an open Jason Bohannon a few feet behind the 3-point line. Bohannon hit it with 52.8 seconds left to give Wisconsin a 52-50 lead. Florida State was fouled and Toney Douglas made a pair of free throws. Jordan Taylor missed a wide open 3-pointer at the end of regulation. In overtime, Wisconsin found itself down by a point with eight seconds left and Trevon Hughes drove into the lane and threw in a shot while being fouled and the shot went in. Hughes' free throw was good and Florida State's last second effort was well off the mark and Wisconsin had a last second win.

2. March 22, 2003: No. 5 Wisconsin 61, No. 13 Tulsa 60

I admit, I was a bad fan. The score was 58-45 Tulsa at the under four media timeout. I had had enough. I turned off the television. I was so excited because I thought the Badgers would be playing just 45 minutes West of my hometown, but that was not going to happen. Down 13 points with 3:45 left is a mountain to overcome. Guard Freddie Owens.  was not a sure thing to play. He had sprained his ankle in the first round win against Weber State. Bucky Badger sure was happy he played. The Badgers actually had a 23-18 lead with six minutes to play in the first half, but Tulsa ended the first half on a 14-2 run to take a seven point lead into the lockerroom. The Badgers would get no closer than six until the final comeback. After the final media timeout, Devin Harris buried a 3-pointer to put cut it to 10, which started an 11-0 run to cut it to two. The teams then traded baskets and Tulsa had the ball and a 60-58 lead. The Badgers dug in defensively and forced a shot clock violation. On the final play, Devin Harris dribbled the ball up the court and drove into the lane. Three Tulsa defenders collapsed the lane to keep Harris from the basket, but Harris found Owens all alone for the 3-pointer from the left corner, who nailed it. The last chance effort for Tulsa was denied when Tulsa's Jarius Glenn stepped over the baseline on the inbounds for a turnover to seal the Wisconsin comeback victory.

1. March 29, 2014: No. 2 Wisconsin 64, No. 1 Arizona 63 (OT)

Nothing beats your first. A lot of people seem to think the difference between a good coach and a great coach is if they can get to a Final Four. As good as Bo Ryan has been, that is the one thing that had eluded him. Prior to the season, in August, Bo Ryan lost his father Butch. They always went to the Final Four together. A win would mean a lot to the Ryan family. Going into the season, Wisconsin needed to replace the entire frontcourt. The center position was a big question mark going into the season. A lot of Badgers fans thought Frank Kaminsky could be a solid big man, but no one thought he would be as big of a factor as he was. Kaminsky was a first team All-Big Ten player, but was still a relative unknown going into the NCAA tournament. After starting out 16-0, the Badgers lost five of six and fell from No. 3 in the nation to out of the top 25 completely. But Wisconsin turned their season around, thanks to a Traevon Jackson last second shot against No. 12 Michigan State, The Badgers came into the NCAA tournament on a roll, winning 12 of 14. Wisconsin found itself trailing by eight with seven minutes left in the first half. Wisconsin ended the half on a run to cut it to 28-25 at halftime. Wisconsin and Arizona took turns with runs in the second half and Arizona led 44-41. For the last 17 minutes of the game, including overtime, it was a one possession game. Frank Kaminsky gave the Badgers a two point lead on a 3-pointer with four and a half minutes remaining. The teams traded baskets the remainder of the game and the game went into overtime tied at 54. Wisconsin took the lead 62-59 on a shot by Kaminsky and free throw by Josh Gasser. After the teams traded baskets and a pair of free throws by Kaleb Tarczewski, the Badgers led 64-63 with less than a minute to play. Jackson missed a shot with a half a minute to play and Arizona grabbed the rebound. T.J. McConnell took the jumper with 13 seconds left, which was no good, but the ball was backtapped to Arizona. The ball went to Pac 12 Player of the Year Nick Johnson. He drove the lane and pushed off of Josh Gasser a bit with his left arm and was called for the offensive foul with 3.2 seconds left. Wisconsin had the ball and on the inbounds play, it was deflected out of bounds. The refs ruled it off of Arizona, but it was overturned, giving Arizona one final possession. The ball was inbounded to Johnson, who took two dribbles before putting up a shot. The shot was no good, but it was too late anyway and the Badgers earned their first Final Four trip since 2000.

Hopefully the Badgers will make some more memories with another Final Four run this year. One game at a time.....Coastal Carolina is up first.

Top 10 Bo Ryan/Tom Izzo Games

In the wake of Sunday's classic Big Ten Tournament Championship game, I thought it would be a good idea to do a top 10 list of the matchups between these two future Hall of Fame coaches. There have been so many classics that I had to leave some great games off the list. The order was really difficult to choose and to be honest, any one of these could be at the top of the list. So without further ado, here is my list of the top two Ryan/Izzo games, and what better way to start the list than to start it with the very first meeting...

10. January 12, 2002: Wisconsin 64, Michigan State 63

Michigan State was coming off of three consecutive Final Fours, including a championship in 2000, and was riding a nation-leading 53-game home winning streak. After playing a grueling non-conference schedule and starting the Big Ten season 0-2, the No. 25 Spartans had a modest 9-6 record. Wisconsin came in at 8-8 and 2-2 in the Big Ten and had lost its last eight to Michigan State. The Badgers came out on fire, making their first five shots from the field en route to a 16-6 lead, which was answered by a 12-0 MSU run. The Spartans lead grew to as many as 10 early in the second half, but the Badgers responded to trim the deficit to two only a few minutes later. The lead changed several times in the final eight minutes. With 25 seconds left, sophomore Freddie Owens came through with a clutch basket to give the Badgers the 64-62 advantage. With eight seconds left, Michigan State's Alan Anderson was fouled and went to the line for two free throws. He made the first, but missed the second. The Spartans grabbed the offensive rebound and called a timeout. Marcus Taylor missed a layup after the timeout and the ball went out of bounds with .2 seconds left. The inbounds pass came to Kelvin Torbert, who caught it in the air and shot it in. The clock did not start on time, so Spartan fans rushed the court to celebrate what they thought was a win. The refs went over to the monitor and saw that Torbert caught it cleanly and scored. Even a tip-in is hard to do in .2 seconds, so since he caught it, the refs disallowed the basket and Wisconsin won 64-63. That game started the Badgers on a run that would help them win the Big Ten for the first time since 1947.


9. January 11, 2011: Michigan State 64, Wisconsin 61 (OT)

Wisconsin had a chance to win in East Lansing for the first time in seven years and this was their chance. The Spartans were in the midst of a down year, as they finished the year at just 19-15. The Badgers jumped on MSU early, taking a 19-7 lead with a little less than nine minutes remaining in the first half. The Spartans battled back to cut it to three by halftime and eventually led 31-28 with 15 minutes left. But Wisconsin came back and after Jordan Taylor made a pair of free throws, the Badgers led 53-44 with 2:39 left.That is when it all came apart for the Badgers. After a Draymond Green 3-pointer, Wisconsin got a stop. Badgers were in good shape, still up six. But then Rob Wilson tried to make a highlight reel exclamation point with a dunk over two MSU players with plenty of time on the shot clock, but he was blocked by Green. That led to a Kalin Lucas free throw. Then Jon Leuer and Wilson had back-to-back turnovers, which led to a Lucas dunk and a 3-pointer by Wisconsin-native Korie Lucious to tie the game up, Regulation would end that way with the game tied at 53. In a back and forth overtime, Taylor had a chance to win the game for the Badgers, but his shot was blocked by Green. After two free throws by Lucas, Taylor's desperation 3-pointer from near half court was missed and the Spartans had a comeback victory.

8. February 9, 2014: Wisconsin 60, Michigan State 58

The Badgers needed a win in the worst way. After a school-record 16-0 start, the Badgers had lost five of six, including losing three consecutive games at the Kohl Center. The Badgers came in unranked for the first time on the year, playing against preseason No. 2 Michigan State. The Spartans had to battle through injuries and were not at 100 percent. The teams traded punches for much of the first half, and MSU took a 22-19 with 6:51 left in the first half. That would be significant as MSU failed to score the rest of the half and Wisconsin ended the half on an 11-0 run to take an eight point lead into halftime. Michigan State's Gary Harris was held scoreless in the first half, but started the second with two straight dunks to cut the Wisconsin lead to a single point. Wisconsin would grow the lead to as many as 10, but MSU came fighting back each time Wisconsin tried to pull away. A Frank Kaminsky 3-pointer with 30 seconds left to put the Badgers up five seemed to be the dagger. However, Harris, would shoot just 3-20 from the field on the day, made a jumper to cut it to three. And after a missed free throw by Ben Brust, Adreian Payne made a 3-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game. On Wisconsin's final possession, Traevon Jackson dribbled up the floor and pulled up and buried a jumper in the face of Harris with 2.1 seconds left. Travis Trice's desperation 3-pointer went off the rim and the Badgers came away with a big 60-58 win. That game ignited an eight game winning streak for the Badgers and started them on a journey that would lead them to the Final Four.

7. March 2, 2004: Wisconsin 68, Michigan State 64 (OT)

Both Wisconsin and Michigan State had dreams of winning the conference. The Badgers came in at 10-4 in the Big Ten and the Spartans were 11-4. With a win, MSU would win at least a share of the Big Ten. With the game in East Lansing, the Spartans were prepared for a celebration after a win, so much so that Michigan State had a banner hanging in the rafters, ready to be unfurled after the big win against Wisconsin. Too bad nobody told the Badgers about the party. In a back and forth contest, the Spartans led 52-49 with less than a minute to play. That is when Big Ten Player of the Year Devin Harris took over, draining a 3-pointer to tie the game with 44 seconds left. After a foul, Michigan State's Chris Hill had a chance to give MSU the lead back, but missed both free throws with 22 seconds left and the game went into overtime. The dagger came in the form of walk-on Clayton Hanson. With less than a minute to play and the Badgers clinging to a one point lead, Harris dribbled along the right side trying to create. With the shot clock winding down, Harris drove in and found a wide open Hanson, who buried the wide open triple. Wisconsin made its free throws down the stretch and the Badgers escaped with an overtime win.

6. March 3, 2007: Wisconsin 52, Michigan State 50

It was Senior Day for Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor. The Badgers were limping in, having lost two consecutive games, including a game at Michigan State just 11 days earlier. The Badgers also lost Brian Butch for the season in the last game at Ohio State. The game was close throughout, with nobody getting a leading larger than six points. Badger killer Drew Neitzel drilled a long jumper to give the visitors a 50-49 lead with less than a minute and a half left. Taylor then had a chance to give the Badgers the lead back, but missed a free throw line jumper. On Michigan State's possession, the Badgers were able to successfully deny Neitzel the ball and Travis Walton was forced to hoist up a deep jumper, which he missed. What followed next was pure Hollywood. After struggling during the two game road trip and having missed a shot that would have given his team the lead less than a minute prior, Taylor was given the ball. After a timeout, Taylor had the ball and worked off of a screen from Tucker and shot a triple with a hand in his face. It was nothing but net for the senior with a 3.9 seconds left. Neitzel's 25-foot 3-pointer was short and the Badgers came away with the two point win.

5. March 15, 2008: Wisconsin 65, Michigan State 63

The two teams had met a few weeks before with Wisconsin winning 57-42 at the Kohl Center, but Tom Izzo is at his best in March. He led the Spartans to a two point halftime led and the Spartans eventually led 53-41 with 8:16 left after Kalin Lucas nailed a 3-pointer. The Big Ten Tournament's No. 1 seed needed a spark. Jason Bohannon's four-point play ignited a Badgers comeback. Wisconsin's next seven points and 11 of 17 came from the foul line as Michigan State was called for 30 fouls in the game and had four players foul out. Big 3-pointers by Brian Butch and Marcus Landry helped the Badgers cut the deficit to a single point. Two Landry free throws tied the game at 63 with less than two minutes to play. With MSU trying to take the lead with less than 40 seconds to play, Kalin Lucas drove the lane and tried to pass it to Drew Neitzel. Michael Flowers had other ideas, as he stole the pass and went the distance for the layup to give the Badgers the 65-63 lead. After a Spartans miss, Jason Bohannon had a chance to ice the game, but he missed both free throws. Neitzel had a chance for the win, but his 3-pointer hit the back of the iron and Wisconsin hung on for the thrilling win.

4. January 16, 2005: Wisconsin 62, Michigan State 59

Three years earlier, Wisconsin had ended Michigan State's 53-game home winning streak. This time, the Spartans wanted payback. Wisconsin brought a 37-game home winning streak into a January date with the Spartans as Bo Ryan tried to go 6-0 against Tom Izzo. Michigan State took a four point lead into halftime and after a 9-0 run, had a 59-51 lead with less than two minutes to play. The Badgers had one more rally in them, It started with a 3-pointer by Penn State transfer Sharif Chambliss to cut it to five. Just like in East Lansing a year earlier, Chris Hill missed a clutch free throw and then Mike Wilkinson made two on the other end to cut it to three. After another one-and-one miss by MSU, Wilkinson again made two to cut it to one with 1:14 left. After a block on the Spartans' next possession, Kammron Taylor scored on a runner in the lane to put the Badgers ahead for good. Alan Anderson's late shot was missed and the Badgers tacked on two more free throws to make the final score 62-59. The winning streak did not last for Wisconsin, though, as the Badgers lost their next home game to No. 1 Illinois.

3, March 13, 2004: Wisconsin 68, Michigan State 66

The Badgers had won the first two meetings of the season. As the old saying goes, it is hard to beat a team three times in a season. The Spartans scored the first seven points of the game and led 23-13 with less than eight minutes to play in the first half. Wisconsin responded with an 11-0 run, but MSU held a 35-30 lead at halftime. Big Ten Player of the Year Devin Harris just scored five points on 1-7 shooting in the first half, but exploded in the second half. He scored 16 points in the second half, including eight in a span of 1:38 in the final minutes to put the Badgers in front 60-59. Mike Wilkinson's two free throws with 49 seconds left in the game put the Badgers up for good and after a Zach Morley missed free throw, Michigan State's Maurice Ager tried a free throw line jumper to send the game into overtime, but it missed and Wisconsin escaped with its third victory over Michigan State on the year.

2. January 3, 2012: Michigan State 63, Wisconsin 60 (OT)

Two tenths of a second. That was the amount of time left in the upset victory back in 2002. It was that much time to break the Badgers' hearts this time around. It was a close back and forth contest throughout the game with no team leading by more than five in regulation. With 35 seconds left and MSU ahead by one, Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor made only one of two free throws to tie the game. Keith Appling's last shot was no good for MSU, so the game went into overtime. The Spartans controlled the overtime, taking a 61-54 lead with 31 seconds left. After a Taylor 3-pointer and two MSU free throws by Keith Appling, the Spartans led it 63-57 and setting the game up for a wild finish. Taylor again splashed a 3-pointer to cut it to three. Draymond Green missed both free throws for the Spartans, which gave the Badgers one last chance. Taylor put up a contested 3-pointer that was airballed, but Evans grabbed the rebound. He knew that there was very little time left, so he sprinted to the 3-point line and tried a turnaround contested triple as time expired. It banked in to tie the game up and send it into double overtime........or so we thought. The clocks were not all in sync, and the backboard clock showed all zeros with the ball still in Evans' hands. The desperation 3-pointer was waved off and Michigan State won 63-60 in perhaps the craziest finish in a series of terrific finishes.

1. March 15, 2015: Wisconsin 80, Michigan State 69 (OT)

I know this just happened on Sunday, but what an unbelievable game. Wisconsin was the top seeded team in the Big Ten Tournament and was in search of its first ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan State was the No. 3 seed coming off of a victory over Maryland, one of the top 10 teams in the country. It was a back and forth affair in the first half with Michigan State grabbing the lead by one at halftime. After a 3-pointer by Duje Dukan to give Wisconsin a 41-40 lead in the second half, Michigan State went on a 17-5 run, which ended on a steal and dunk by Branden Dawson. A Frank Kaminsky dunk and foul cut the MSU lead to seven and it started an 11-0 run, which ended when Bronson Koenig canned a triple in the left corner to give the Badgers a 60-59 lead. With the Badgers trailing 64-62, National Player of the Year candidate Frank Kaminsky scored the next five, including a cold-blooded 3-pointer to give the Badgers a 67-64 lead with 1:45 left. Not to be outdone, Michigan State scored the next five to put the Spartans ahead by two. On the next possession, Koenig tried another 3-pointer, but this one was missed and it was tipped and was headed toward the sideline. Wisconsin senior Josh Gasser saved the ball from going out of bounds, but right into the hands of Michigan State's Denzel Valentine, who proceeded to pull a Jay Cutler and throw it right into the hands of a defender. Koenig had another shot and was fouled going up with the shot and went to the free throw line. He made both and Michigan State's last second shot by Dawson rolled off the rim and it went into overtime. There, the Badgers dominated, outscoring the Spartans 11-0. The Badgers nailed two 3-pointers to start off the overtime and the Badgers never looked back in the 80-69 as Wisconsin won the Big Ten Tournament and got its No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed.

Like I said, there will be debate between the order of this most likely, but there will be no debate that there have been some absolute classics between these two iconic coaches. Rip away...

With a talented group of young pups, the Wolves are on the right track

Sometimes you need to take one step back before moving forward. That is exactly what the Minnesota Timberwolves did this offseason. Minnesota finished last season with a 40-42 record, its best season since going 44-38 in 2004-05. But star forward Kevin Love was unhappy in Minnesota and was traded in August to Cleveland in a three team trade that saw Minnesota acquire 2014 No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins, 2013 No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett and forward Thaddeus Young. Regardless of what you think about Love, there is no doubt that this move was the right one for the team. With Love, the team was stuck in mediocrity. The ceiling for a Love-led Wolves team would be to maybe make the playoffs as a No. 8 seed or on the outside looking in. The worst place to be in the NBA is in the middle of the league. If you are in that position, you are not good enough to compete for a championship and not bad enough to acquire a top player in the draft. With Wiggins, the team has a very bright future ahead of it.

Fast forward to now. Minnesota has a record of just 11-42, second worst in the NBA. But there are definitely bright spots in there. You never want to say an injury or injuries are a good thing for a team, but with Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic and Ricky Rubio missing much of the first half of the season, Minnesota was able to see what it has in rookies Zach LaVine and Wiggins and second-year big man Gorgui Dieng.

With Martin out, much of the scoring burden was put on the shoulders of the top pick in the draft, and he flourished. He had a stretch in which he scored in double figures in 22 consecutive games, which is second in franchise history (among rookies) to some guy named Kevin Garnett. In that streak was a game in which Wiggins dropped a career-high 33 points on the team that drafted him. He is considered the heavy favorite to win the Rookie of the Year, which would be the franchise's first.

The second-year big man Gorgui Dieng has blossomed this season into one of the better young bigs in the game. When Pekovic went down with his obligatory injury this year, Dieng filled in wonderfully. The Louisville product has nearly doubled his points per game and is averaging more than three rebounds per game more as well. Admittedly, some of that is due to more court time, as he has started 38 games compared to 15 last season, but still, he has been quite impressive. His free throw shooting has greatly improved as well. The emergence of Dieng has made Pekovic expendable if the Wolves are able to find a trade partner.

Zach LaVine is quite raw, like most people thought coming out of UCLA. He is just shooting 41 percent and 28 percent from 3-point range, but he has shown flashes. In a game Nov. 28 at the Lakers, Lavine scored 28 points, including 18 in the second quarter, in a 120-119 Wolves victory. And as we all found out this weekend (well, Wolves fans knew, but the rest of the country found out) the hops that this kid has, easily winning the dunk contest, bringing back memories of Vince Carter in his prime.

And how could I ever forget the emergence of another UCLA guy, Shabazz Muhammad? I loved the pick when he was drafted. He is one of the most improved players in the league, in my opinion. His athleticism is through the roof and has drastically improved his 3-point shooting as well. He is averaging 13.6 points per game, mostly coming off the bench. Like LaVine, he came into the NBA after just one season at UCLA, but Muhammad was more polished. It was just that Rick Adelman did not play him a whole lot, unlike what new coach Flip Saunders is doing this year.

Add those four pieces to Ricky Rubio, who is getting healthier by the game, and the Wolves have a solid foundation. With Rubio back, Minnesota has become competitive again, beating Memphis and nearly knocking off Golden State. Kevin Martin and his scoring punch is back again, as is Pekovic. Minnesota has a brutal schedule upcoming, but unlike New York, I doubt Minnesota will tank for a better chance at the No. 1 pick.

In speaking of the draft, Minnesota will have another top five pick to help the rebuild. The prize this year is Duke's Jahlil Okafor. If the Wolves were able to win the lottery (wishful thinking, I know) and draft Okafor, a lineup of Rubio/Wiggins/Muhammad/Dieng/Okafor would be the most exciting in the league. One thing is for sure. This Timberwolves team is a chance