For a year in which the Big Ten largely failed to meet expectations, Wisconsin men's basketball (12-4 Big Ten, 25-7 overall) took care of business and crashed the cusp of the national scene. The Badgers' school-record 25 wins, first Big Ten Tournament title and No. 10 national ranking turned heads across America and earned the team its crown as Men's Team of the Year.
For opposing squads, the Kohl Center came to represent futility this season. On Feb. 29, Wisconsin avenged its first Big Ten loss at Purdue by a score of 82-46. The conquest capped the Badgers' first undefeated home crusade in 74 years. With 15 victories and no losses on its home floor, the team also extended its 28-game winning streak in Madison.
Under Head Coach Bo Ryan, the Badgers won the most games over a three-year span in school history. In his time at Wisconsin, Ryan owns a 68-28 record and a 24-game winning streak in Big Ten home contests.
After sweeping to the Big Ten Tournament title on Selection Sunday with a 70-53 victory over regular-season conference titleholder Illinois, junior point guard Devin Harris was honored as the tournament's consensus Most Outstanding Player. Voters also made junior forward Mike Wilkinson a unanimous selection for the all-tournament team.
Despite the team's victory over the fifth-seeded Illini, Wisconsin received a No. 6 seed in the East Rutherford regional. The team opened its tournament run with a 76-64 comeback conquest of No. 10-seed Richmond, but closed it two days later with a 59-55 loss to Pittsburgh, the region's third seed.
After his team's impressive run, Harris collected postseason awards by the handful and became the first Badger since Don Rehfeldt in 1950 to earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors. Harris was the year's only consensus selection on the all-Big Ten team. Wilkinson joined him as a unanimous pick on the all-conference second team.
men's hockey
