Monday, February 14, 2011

Numer One. In Your Face.

I'm a relatively busy man and can't devote much time to the massive college basketball world outside of the sphere of the Big 10....11....12 conference, but I'm going to go on record and say the most noteworthy game of the season took place in Madison, WI this past Saturday (2/12/11).  For those of you that don't know what I'm referencing, the University of Wisconsin's mens basketball team knocked off the previously undefeated (24-0) and number one ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, rallying from fifteen points down in th second half.

Also for those of you that don't know, the Buckeyes have a better basketball team than the Badgers.  Probably a fifteen point better team than the Badgers.  When they put William Buford, Aaron Craft, Jon Diebler, David Lighty and Jared Sullinger on the floor they can score from all five positions.  Four of the five can create their own shots and the other (Diebler) is about to become the Big Ten's most prolific three point shooter.  But in Madison you can spot the number one team in the country fifteen points and they will be lucky to lose by only four.  Under coach Bo Ryan, at the Kohl Center, the Badgers have a staggering record of 149-11, including 75-6 in conference, 75-6 in conference play and 24-7 vs top 25 ranked teams.  Thad Matta and Tom Izzo are 0 for the Kohl Center against Ryan.

Here's a look at the Badgers starting five (from the season opener) in each of Ryan's seasons and the top 25 (ESPN poll) that were felled on Dayton St.

2001-02 (19-13, 11-5)

Starters:  Charlie Wills, Dave Mader, Travon Davis, Kirk Penney, Devin Harris

Top 25 home victims:  #15 Marquette 86-73, #7 Illinois 72-66, #22 Ohio State 94-92 (OT)

2002-03 (24-8, 12-4)

Starters:  Penney, Mike Wilkinson, Mader, Freddie Owens, Harris

Top 25 home victims:  #14 Illinois 60-59

2003-04 (25-7, 12-4)

Starters:  Wilkinson, Mader, Boo Wade, Owens, Harris

Top 25 home victims:  #23 Marquette 63-59

2004-05 (25-9, 11-5)

Starters:  Alando Tucker, Wilkinson, Andreas Helmigk, Clayton Hanson, Kammron Taylor

Top 25 home victims:  #12 Maryland 69-64, # 18 Alabama 76-62, #15 Michigan State 62-59

2005-06 (19-12, 9-7)

Starters:  Jason Chappel, Tucker, Brian Butch, Ray Nixon, Taylor

Top 25 home victims: # 7 Michigan State 82-63, # 24 Indiana 72-54, # 12 Ohio State 78-73

2006-07 (30-6, 13-3)

Starters:  Butch, Tucker, Chappel, Michael Flowers, Taylor

Top 25 home victims:  # 2 Pittsburgh 89-75, # 5 Ohio State 72-69

2007-08  (31-5, 16-2)

Starters:  Marcus Landry, Butch, Greg Stiemsma, Trevon Hughes, Joe Krabbenhoft

Top 25 home victims:  # 11 Indiana 62-49, # 19 Michigan State 57-42

2008-09 (20-13, 10-8)

Starters:  Landry, Keaton Knankivil, Hughes, Jason Bohannon, Krabbenhoft

Top 25 home victims:  # 23 Illinois 63-50, # 24 Ohio State 55-50

2009-10 (24-9, 13-5)

Starters:  Jon Luer, Knankivil, Hughes, Bohannon, Tim Jarmusz

Top 25 home victims:  # 6 Duke 73-69, # 15 Ohio State 65-43, # 4 Purdue 73-66, # 5 Michigan State 67-49

2010-11 (to date 19-5, 9-3)

Starters:  Jarmusz, Josh Gasser, Knankivil, Luer, Jordan Taylor

Top 25 home victims:  # 14 Minnesota 68-60, # 16 Illinois 76-66, # 11 Purdue 66-59, # 1 Ohio State 71-67


So take heart Buckeyes, it happens to the best of them and suffice to say, I'm not looking forward to the rematch in Columbus.  One last word of caution though, Sullinger seems to be a lot more Terence Dials that Greg Oden.

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