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.
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