While many of you are cultivating your tans and neglecting your books, Badger athletes across the board are facing a considerably more intense and decisive week than we mere students can imagine. As UW students prepare to travel around the globe for a week of rest and relaxation, the Badger athletes are all business as the fate of many of their seasons hangs in the balance. Here is a look at what is happening this upcoming week in Badger nation.
Men's basketball (12-4 Big Ten, 21-6 overall)
Having won four games in a row, Wisconsin heads to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament where its No. 2 seed has granted the team a first-round bye. Wisconsin will play the winner of Purdue vs. Minnesota and must win three games in all to capture the conference tournament championship. If all goes well, by the time classes start again UW will have advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 as the first two rounds of the tournament will have concluded by March 21.
Player to Watch: The Big Ten's Player of the Year, junior guard Devin Harris, finished the conference season averaging 20.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
Women's hockey (18-5-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association, 24-5-3 overall)
Riding a six-game winning streak, Wisconsin hopes to continue its success this Saturday in the first round of the WCHA playoffs against Minnesota-Duluth. If the Badgers beat the Bulldogs, they will play on Sunday for the Final Five championship.
Players to Watch: Freshmen forwards Sara Bauer and Lindsay Macy lead the team in scoring with 31 and 28 points, respectively, while Macy has the team lead in goals scored with 16.
Men's hockey (14-7-7 WCHA, 20-10-8 overall)
The UW men drop the puck right here in Madison for a best-of-three series with Alaska-Anchorage to determine who qualifies to compete in the Final Five. While UW could not capture the regular season conference crown, it has a chance to take home the conference tournament championship and improve its standing in the Frozen Four.
Player to Watch: Senior tri-captain Rene Bourque leads with 33 total points in 37 games. The Alberta, Canada, native has assisted on a team-best 19 goals.
Wrestling (4-4 Big Ten, 17-6 overall)
Eight UW wrestlers head to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis. Wisconsin finished seventh in the Big Ten and hopes to take the national competition by storm this week.
Player to Watch: Badger sophomore Tom Clum, who took the Big Ten championship in the 125 pound weight class. He has a 28-4 overall record heading into his upcoming tournament match.
Softball (11-5)
UW will head west to play in two tournaments with a match-up against California-Berkeley in between. They are scheduled to face Syracuse in their first game of the San Jose State University tournament before they go up against the Cal Golden Bears. They then travel north to Sacramento for the Capital Classic where they will play five teams including Long Beach and Sacramento State.
Player to Watch: Junior catcher Boo Gillette, Big Ten's Player of the Week, is second on the team with a .391 batting average and leads the team in four offensive categories including RBI's with 14.
Men's and women's track
The two Wisconsin track teams will send nine athletes to compete in six different events at the 2004 NCAA Indoor Champhionships. The No. 18 men's track team had eight athletes qualify for the championships while the 23rd-ranked women's team will send an athlete to compete as well.
Players to Watch: Junior Matt Tegenkamp broke the UW record in the 3000 with a time of 7:55.14 and enters this week seeded seventh for the event. Senior Hilary Edmondson was the lone qualifier for her team but has earned a No. 2 seed in the mile run.
