WISCONSIN BADGERS

1. Bo Ryan has written the book on the Swing Offense. Long before he was roaming the sidelines in as a head coach in Madison, Coach Ryan was perfecting his Swing Offense at D-III UW-Platteville, where he won four national titles and had two undefeated seasons. As a matter of fact, Ryan wrote the book on the Swing Offense. There is a video as well. Description for the video is as follows: NCAA Division III National Champion Bo Ryan shares the offense that has made him successful.The Swing is an offense designed to get the ball into high percentage scoring areas, get your team good shots, and to the free throw line. The constant cutting-on the weak side as well as the ball side-makes the defense work on every possession. Coach Ryan covers the basic continuity of the offense and goes over all the options available. 1996, 38 Minutes. Yes, you too can learn the Swing Offense in 38 minutes. That must be one intense video. I plan on showing it to my first-born son every night. Bo Ryan also has instructional videos on how to do the Soulja Boy dance and the Hambone. A man of many talents indeed!

2. 30 wins? No Problem. Only three times in Big Ten history have teams had back-to-back 30 win seasons. The 1974-75 Indiana team went 31-1, losing in the regional finals. They followed that up with the last undefeated season in D-I and won the national title, going 32-0 in 1976. In 1998-99, Michigan State went 33-5 and lost in the Final Four. The next season they went 32-7 and won the national title. During the 2006-076 season, the Wisconsin Badgers posted the first 30-win season in school history, going 30-6, but losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament. This year's Badgers are 31-4, and counting, and hope to follow the success of the previous back to back 30-win Big Ten teams by winning a national title in the second season. Also, the Badgers are one of just five teams in the country that have won at least 30 games in each of the last two seasons. Joining the Badgers are North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis and Kansas.

3. More fun player facts. In our pre-tournament preview, we told you how leading scorer Brian Butch is not an actual polar bear, Joe Krabbenhoft has had over 35 separate "stitch events" to his face over the years, and Trevon Hughes took a cue from the Cobra Kai's Halloween costume and dressed up as a skeleton. Here are a couple more tidbits. Reserve center Greg Stiemsma has developed a nice reputation as the team's barber. Greg also spent time prior to the second round game hitting up Outdoor World in Omaha to purchase a new fishing rod for an upcoming fishing trip. Something tells me he did not run in to Michael Beasley there. One final Stiemsma note: He lists the worst job he ever had as "hoeing weeds." OK. Michael Flowers, the heart and soul of this team, lists "Welcome to the Jungle" as his cell phone ring. I can support that, but I think Mike was about two years old when that song came out. Also, defense runs in the Flowers family. While Michael was robbed of the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award this year, his brother, Jonte, won his fourth straight Northern Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Year award for D-II Winona State. Also: Erin > Doris: This season, the Badgers are 5-0 when Erin Andrews is the sideline reporter for the game while they are only 1-2 when Doris Burke is involved in some capacity. This calls for a little more Erin and a little less Doris, something I think we all can agree on. — Ben Goldsworthy

DAVIDSON WILDCATS

1. We're really a bunch of dorks. Before last weekend, if you'd heard of Davidson, it almost certainly was because of academics, not athletics. But after two upset wins, don't start thinking this is some secret sports juggernaut. That should be readily evident when you hear the team has adopted Sweet Caroline as a sort-of theme song. And that point guard Jason Richards and Stephen Curry do this weird handshake about a hand fitting into a glove. (I always forget who is which.) And, yes, at one point, we (I still use 'we;' sue me) had an all-white lineup on the floor against Georgetown. These are mostly smart guys who managed to be good at sports too.

2. And Curry is this good. He is grabbing highlights and headlines with 40 and 30 points in the two NCAA tournament games, but the people going ga-ga over him are the ones who haven't paid that much attention. Thanks to DirecTV, I now receive every sports channel ever created, and that means I was able to watch 10 or so Davidson games from a distance this season — which is, by far, the most games we've ever had televised. And Curry has played like this all season. So forgive me if I'm not bowing down to his greatness right now. I did that about three months ago.

3. How about that coach? As happy as I am about these wins and as proud of an alum as I am, I am especially happy for Bob McKillop, who finally got his signature wins after 19 mostly good seasons at Davidson. About 10 years ago when I was in school and covering the team, I used to be around McKillop on a fairly regular basis. I would not say that I got to know him, but I became a little familiar with his type of personality. So when I heard that he said, "I'm numb right now," I was happy for him. He is not somebody I ever would imagine genuinely feels numb. But that he thinks he feels numb must be an incredible feeling for him.

And I have to admit that I had a fleeting thought that these signature wins would be the publicity that McKillop needs to get a job at a more well-funded program. There have been rumors about him being up for such a higher-profile job over the years and, at one point, he might have made that jump. Several years back, though, he crossed over into legendary status. Yeah, he could go somewhere else for a few years, but he would always be our coach. I have a hunch that this time around, he would be the one telling the bigger dogs to take a hike. That, however, is something to worry about after Wisconsin.

So, from the Piedmont, to the Triad, to the hills of Carolina, it is a great week to be a Wildcat. — Matt Pitzer

Davidson vs. Wisconsin, 7:10 pm Friday

#10 Davidson Wildcats

Last Weekend: Defeated #7 Gonzaga 82-76, defeated #2 Georgetown 74-70

How Davidson Got Here: Superior guard play. Stephen Curry and Jason Richards are the backbone of this Wildcats team.. Curry had 40 points against the Zags and 30 points against the Hoyas. Fifty-five of his seventy points have come in the second half. Richards, the NCAA leader in assists, did not disappoint either, with 35 points and 14 assists playing all but four minutes of the first two games. In the Georgetown game, Curry and Richards, by virtue of either points scored or assists tallied, accounted for 70 of the Cats' 74 points, including a hand in every field goal made. That is impressive.

What the Sweet 16 Means for Davidson: The difficult non-conference schedule paid off. They were not fazed by the big stage. While any Davidson fan, player and coach must be absolutely thrilled by what has happened so far, the Wildcats have to believe that they are the next George Mason. They have to believe, in their heart of hearts, that they can make the Final Four given the right opportunity.

Chances to Reach San Antonio: Perhaps the third slimmest chance of anyone left in this tournament (the first and second being Western Kentucky and Villanova). But they have to feel good about their chances to make the Elite 8. Wisconsin's style means the pace will be slow, allowing starters to play close to 40 minutes and the Wildcats to keep it close regardless of the outcome. In Kansas, they may have to face the most talented team of the tournament. Then again, that's what they said about UConn in 2006.

#3 Wisconsin Badgers

Last Weekend: Defeated #14 CS Fullerton 71-56, defeated #11 Kansas State 72-55.

How Wisconsin Got Here: Insanely good defense. The Badgers have played hard-nosed defense all season long, and last weekend was a powerful showcase of just that. Sure, the Badgers allowed Michael Beasley to drop 17 on them in the first half. But in the second half, they surrendered just six points from the best college player in the land. Bo Ryan's squad has the liberty of avoiding Georgetown, however now they're stuck with the possible Cinderella story of this year's tournament, Davidson.

What the Sweet 16 Means for the Badgers: A Sweet 16 appearance for this year's Badgers should come as no surprise. They've found incredible leadership from Michael Flowers, one of the best hustle players in the country in Joe Krabbenhoft and a slew of other players that simply know their roles (i.e. Marcus Landry, Trevon Hughes). Wisconsin is in a very favorable position now to make a strong run at a Final Four, with its upcoming game against Davidson and a potential showdown with Kansas.

Chances to Reach San Antonio: Good, but not likely. The Badgers can and should defeat Davidson, but a potential Elite Eight game against Kansas would be too much for them. The Jayhawks are better, faster and stronger (and harder?) than Wisconsin and would prevent them from making a Final Four run.

Villanova vs. Kansas, 9:40 pm Friday

#12 Villanova Wildcats

Last Weekend: Defeated #7 Clemson 75-69, defeated #13 Siena 84-72

How Villanova Got Here: Scottie Reynolds and a favorable draw. Reynolds has had an up and down 2008 season while transitioning to becoming "the man" at Nova, but he caught fire following a 22-point performance against Syracuse in the first round of the Big East tournament. He's continued to lead Nova in scoring each game since, including his huge second half against Clemson and 25-point performance against Siena. The Wildcats also caught a break by playing a choketastic Clemson team and a Siena squad whose season was complete with a win over Vandy.

What the Sweet 16 Means to the Wildcats: If you told any Villanova fan on January 23, right after the Cats were just routed by Rutgers, that this team was going to the Sweet 16, they would have assumed you were on meth. This Sweet 16 run is a total surprise for Villanova, so the Cats are basically playing with house money from here out. All this can do it set up the Wildcats as a possible Top 10/Top 5 team to start next season.

Chances to Reach San Antonio: Not likely, but it's not like Villanova hasn't done this before in program history. Still, there are no more double-digits seeds for the Cats, as they now have to face the powerful Kansas Jayhawks. While the multi-talented 'Hawks probably have too much size, depth and firepower for the Wildcats, they are still coached by Bill Self, and the three-pointer is the great equalizer in the college hoops.

#1 Kansas Jayhawks

Last Weekend: Defeated #16 Portland State 85-61, Defeated #8 UNLV 75-56.

How Kansas Got Here: The beatdown of Big Sky champs Portland State was routine, with future NBA draft picks drubbing guys who would be lucky to get a tryout for Slamball (it's back, you know!). UNLV provided a slightly tougher test, shutting down the perimeter in the first half until Kansas used superior quickness to penetrate the lane, score and open up the outside game. In all, it has been pretty easy so far.

What the Sweet 16 Means to Kansas: A sigh of relief to a team that still remembers the two-season "Killer Bs" debacle. However, anything short of a Final Four this season will leave Kansas fans exasperated, and add just a little more heat to Bill Self's kiester.

Chances of Reaching San Antonio: Inheriting the winner of a 12 vs. 13 matchup almost doesn't seem fair, but Jayhawk players and fans will take it. With respectable but limited teams like Wisconsin and Davidson lurking on the other side of the bracket, if Kansas doesn't make it to San Antonio this year, the program's reputation could take a near-fatal hit. Going through Detroit just like Danny's '88 squad did has the Lawrence faithful hoping for another Miracle.

There are considerable similarities to 2006 in the bracket too; Kansas is that similar kind of somewhat overrated "favorite" the way that Connecticut was that year. (Also, Bill Self, again, has never made the Final Four.) And even though we consider Wisconsin our sleeper, few would argue that they're this terrifying force in the Sweet 16. Davidson fans — and there are some, swear, more than you'd think — have been waiting for years to finally break through with that one tournament win. Now they're seeming like gluttons.

By the way, how awesome is it that Davidson was Larry Brown's first job ... until he changed his mind and left. So unlike him!

(Getty Images Photo)

1 Kansas vs. 16 Portland State (Omaha)
Kansas is one of the most experienced and well-rounded teams in this entire tournament, so it should the Jayhawks should be damn thankful that they landed perhaps the easiest regional of the No. 1 seeds. The Jayhawks should have absolutely no problem disposing of Portland State.
The Pick: Kansas

8 UNLV vs. 9 Kent State (Omaha)
This game right here is the ultimate 8-9 first round matchup. Why? Because it's nearly impossible to pick. UNLV is coming off a huge upset of BYU in its conference tournament, while Kent State picked up some big wins this season against George Mason and at St. Mary's. In the end, the coin toss went the Rebels' way.
The Pick: UNLV

5 Clemson vs. 12 Villanova (Tampa)
Anybody who witnessed Sunday's gem of a game between North Carolina and Clemson has got to agree - Clemson is for real. This is a team that has somehow, someway battled with North Carolina all season long and even defeated Duke in the ACC Tourney. Look for the Tigers to make a lot of noise in the early going of the tournament.
The Pick: Clemson

4 Vanderbilt vs. 13 Siena (Tampa)
Siena provides one of the lone, true upsets of this regional. They've got a win against Stanford under their belts this season and should take advantage of a Vanderbilt team that dropped three of its final five games of the season - including two to Arkansas (Hoosiers beware!).
The Pick: Siena

6 USC vs. 11 Kansas State (Omaha)
Ahh, yes - the battle of the two best freshmen in all of college basketball, O.J. Mayo and Michael Beas(t)ley. Put that aside for a moment though. The more interesting matchup may come between Mayo and K. State's Bill Walker, who are former high school teammates. In the end, Beasley will undoubtedly turn in yet another huge performance and lead his team to victory.
The Pick: Kansas State

3 Wisconsin vs. 14 CS Fullerton (Omaha)
Like Davidson, who I'll get to in a moment, momentum will be the ultimate key for the Badgers. Wisconsin played well during the Big Ten Tournament, despite a quasi-injury to Trevon Hughes who is still struggling to find his shot. As long as Brian Butch and Michael Flowers are playing well though - and Joe Krabbenhoft is up to his usual garbage-cleaning ways - the Badgers should advance to Round 2 without breaking a sweat.
The Pick: Wisconsin

7 Gonzaga vs. 10 Davidson (Raleigh)
Forget the Houston Rockets. Nobody cares about the NBA anyway, right? Well as everybody knows by now, the Wildcats have won 22 straight. Davidson played at UCLA, at Duke and at North Carolina early in the season, and lost all three...however, they lost by just six to Duke and just four to the Tar Heels. There's no question that Gonzaga is a formidable foe, but Davidson has all the momentum they need heading into this one.
The Pick: Davidson - the streak stays alive

2 Georgetown vs. 15 UMBC (Raleigh)
Everybody keeps talking about Roy Hibbert, the difference maker - and rightfully so. But Hoyas' guard Jessie Sapp - as well as the other G-Town guards - deserve some attention. Sapp and his backcourt mates will be the ultimate difference makers for the Hoyas in the tournament and could provide the extra push Georgetown needs to make a title run.
The Pick: Georgetown

Some Midwest Region Superlatives...
Dark Horse for Final Four: Clemson
Dark Horse for Sweet 16: Davidson
Best First Round Upset: Siena over Vanderbilt
Best Opening Round Game: Mayo-Beasley
Best Potential Game: Clemson-Villanova
Round of 32: Kansas over UNLV, Clemson over Siena, Wisconsin over Kansas State, Georgetown over Davidson
Sweet 16: Kansas over Clemson, Georgetown over Wisconsin
Elite Eight: Kansas over Georgetown
Regional Champ: Kansas

WISCONSIN BADGERS

1. Team of the 2000's? OK, that may be taking things a bit too far, but let's review what the basketball Badgers have accomplished since the year 2000. One Final Four, 2 Elite Eights, 3 Sweet Sixteens, 3 Big Ten Regular Season titles (2 outright) and two Big Ten Tournament titles. Although the casual fan might most easily identify with Indiana or Michigan State as traditional Big Ten powers, Indiana has not won an outright Big Ten regular season title since 1993 and Michigan State hasn't won one since 1999. The most amazing stat is Wisconsin has made the NCAA Tournament in 10 straight seasons. Coming in to this season, only five teams can top that streak: Arizona (23), Kansas (18), Kentucky (16), Duke (12), Michigan State (10). Not bad company. What is even more amazing is that prior to this run, Wisconsin only made the NCAA Tournament twice since their 1941 national championship; the 1994 Michael Finley-led team and the 1997 squad.

2. The Badgers' leaders. Leading scorer Brian Butch (whose elbow has not been grotesquely inverted yet this season), has two favorite TV shows: Ice Road Truckers and Deadliest Catch. Hopefully those trucks on Ice Road Truckers don't run over any polar bears. Butch also receives text messages from Erin Andrews after hitting game winning shots, so he has that going for him, which is nice. Butch is also the leading rebounder so we will give you a tidbit on second leading rebounder, Joe Krabbenhoft, who Seth Davis said he was going to name his dog after. Krabbenhoft, who played for a team called the Rough Riders in South Dakota in high school, has had more than 35 separate "stitch events" to his face over the years, according to his mom. This will serve him well if he ever tries out to be Mr. Met. Krabbenhoft is also the team's leader in assists, so we will move along to the No. 2 assist man, Trevon Hughes, a promising sophomore from Queens. Two things about Trevon stand out to me. The first is that his favorite Madison restaurant is Qdoba. Outstanding. You can't go wrong with Qdoba on State Street at 2:30 in the morning. Also, his favorite Halloween costume is a skeleton. I can only hope Trevon's friends also dressed up as skeletons and chased around someone dressed like Daniel LaRusso while yelling such lines as "Sweep the leg!" and "Get him a body bag Johnny, Yah!" while singing "You're the Best Around."

3. Bucky Badger, Available for your wedding. Mr. Buckingham U. Badger, Bucky to his close friends, has been patrolling the sidelines at University of Wisconsin sporting events since 1949. Bucky's name stems from a line in the school's fight song, "On, Wisconsin," where the football team is inspired to "buck right through that line." A live badger was first brought to a football game in 1940 but proved to be too rambunctious and hostile towards people, surprisingly, and was retired to a local zoo. Its offspring went on to star in the Badger, Badger, Badger video and recent Toyota ads. Bucky has become a fan favorite throughout the nation and in 2006 was inducted in to the Mascot Hall of Fame as a charter member of the College Division, along with Aubie from Auburn and YoUDee from Delaware. Along with attending various sporting events and campus activities, Bucky is available for a host of other events where Bucky, from personal experience, stands on his head, polkas, does the Worm, and mingles with the attractive ladies in attendance. No uglies for Bucky! — Ben Goldsworthy

CAL STATE FULLERTON TITANS

1. Remember the Titans. Thirty years ago the Titans advanced to the elite eight only to be bounced out of the 1978 field by the famed "triplets" of Arkansas (guards Sidney Moncrief , Marvin Delph and Ron Brewer) who were coached by Eddie Sutton (some 628 wins ago). Speaking of legends former CSF basketball star Greg Bunch was in attendance at the Big West conference finals to witness the Titans return to the Big Dance three decades after he lead them in their memorable debut.

2. Cut(ly) and Run. Senior forward Scott Cutley, who averages 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, was named Co-Big West Player of the Year. Cutley left Kent State after his sophomore season, and it must have seemed like forward thinking to his teammate, junior forward Marcus Crenshaw (8.9 ppg), who also left the Golden Flashes for Fullerton. The Titans starting backcourt of Josh Akognon (19.9 ppg) and Ray Reed (6.4 ppg) are also transfers from Washington State and Georgetown, respectively. It should be interesting to see how it all plays out considering all the starting player's ex-schools made it to the big dance, so there is a good chance they could face at least one of those ex-teams.

3. Name Dropping. The Titans have a player named Frank Robinson (no relation to the baseball star Hall of Famer); he averages 16.1 points and 1.3 steals per game. These Titans are giant killers; they slayed the Cal State Northridge Matadors, whose star player went by the name of Chitwood (a la Hoosiers fame). That isn't the only Hollywood connection; Fullerton's famous alumni include actor/director Kevin Costner (who played baseball for the perennial power) and big name roundball alums including former Sun/Laker Cedric Ceballos and former Spur Bruce Bowen. — Shane Igoe

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2. The Badgers' leaders. Leading scorer Brian Butch (whose elbow has not been grotesquely inverted yet this season), has two favorite TV shows: Ice Road Truckers and Deadliest Catch. Hopefully those trucks on Ice Road Truckers don't run over any polar bears. Butch also receives text messages from Erin Andrews after hitting game winning shots, so he has that going for him, which is nice. Butch is also the leading rebounder so we will give you a tidbit on second leading rebounder, Joe Krabbenhoft, who Seth Davis said he was going to name his dog after. Krabbenhoft, who played for a team called the Rough Riders in South Dakota in high school, has had more than 35 separate "stitch events" to his face over the years, according to his mom. This will serve him well if he ever tries out to be Mr. Met. Krabbenhoft is also the team's leader in assists, so we will move along to the No. 2 assist man, Trevon Hughes, a promising sophomore from Queens. Two things about Trevon stand out to me. The first is that his favorite Madison restaurant is Qdoba. Outstanding. You can't go wrong with Qdoba on State Street at 2:30 in the morning. Also, his favorite Halloween costume is a skeleton. I can only hope Trevon's friends also dressed up as skeletons and chased around someone dressed like Daniel LaRusso while yelling such lines as "Sweep the leg!" and "Get him a body bag Johnny, Yah!" while singing "You're the Best Around."

3. Bucky Badger, Available for your wedding. Mr. Buckingham U. Badger, Bucky to his close friends, has been patrolling the sidelines at University of Wisconsin sporting events since 1949. Bucky's name stems from a line in the school's fight song, "On, Wisconsin," where the football team is inspired to "buck right through that line." A live badger was first brought to a football game in 1940 but proved to be too rambunctious and hostile towards people, surprisingly, and was retired to a local zoo. Its offspring went on to star in the Badger, Badger, Badger video and recent Toyota ads. Bucky has become a fan favorite throughout the nation and in 2006 was inducted in to the Mascot Hall of Fame as a charter member of the College Division, along with Aubie from Auburn and YoUDee from Delaware. Along with attending various sporting events and campus activities, Bucky is available for a host of other events where Bucky, from personal experience, stands on his head, polkas, does the Worm, and mingles with the attractive ladies in attendance. No uglies for Bucky! — Ben Goldsworthy

Joe Finley, a player for the University of North Dakota, apparently smacked Wisconsin's Bucky Badger with his stick during a fracas the other night. And now, a price shall be paid!

Finley has been sent to the principal's office and the verdict is in - Big Joe must write a letter of apology to Bucky Badger. Seriously.

Just to be mean, Finley should seal the envelope tight. We'd love to see Bucky try to open it, and then collapsing in frustration. Damned non-opposable thumbs!

Joe Finley Less Popular In Wisconsin [Japers' Rink]

Yes, students with underage drinking citations — or "badges of honor," as we called them in Champaign — will have to take a Breathalyzer test just to enter the stadium before their game Saturday. And they have to blow .000.

That's right, no alcohol in the system whatsoever. So, even if you're feeling sick and take a quick shot of Nyquil, chances are you'll be quarantined from Camp Randall.

Frankly, we think we still have alcohol in our system from the Illinois-Penn State game in 1995. Should be quite the party up there.

Wisconsin Students To Take Breathalyzer Test Before Football Game [Sports By Brooks]

(UPDATE: This story clarifies this a bit.)

But this sort of vandalism, this we can get behind.

Wisconsin hockey player Kyle Klubertanz and former hockey player Jeffrey Slinde were each assessed $200 fines yesterday for tipping over a cow last August in front of the Kohl Center, home of Badger hockey. Klubertanz and Slinde were on their way home from the campus bar scene at about 2 a.m. on Aug. 3 when they decided to tip over one of the more than 100 sculpted and decorated cows which graced various parts of Madison last summer as the Wisconsin CowParade.

We are disappointed it wasn't a real cow, but otherwise, we're absolutely with you in spirit, guys!

Wisconsin Hockey Player: "Because We Were Stupid" [Randball]

WISCONSIN BADGERS

1. Old School Quickies. Bucky Badger's full name is Buckingham U. Badger. Is Minnesota's Golden Gopher that sophisticated? I doubt it. The Badger mascot actually stems from when the territory was dubbed "The Badger State," not because of animals in the region, but rather an association with miners in the 1820's. Prospectors came to the state looking for minerals, and without shelter in the winter, they had to live like badgers in tunnels burrowed into hillsides. Speaking of back in the day, annual tuition in 1900 was $20. Now that would really make paying off school loans a lot easier. One last fact: Did you know 17 Nobel Prizes and 24 Pulitzer Prizes have been awarded to UW alumni & faculty?

2. What You Need to Know About This Team. There's quite the range of personalities on this squad. Forward Marcus Landry says his dream job is a pastor, while guard Trevon Hughes simply states "Victoria's Secret." Uh, OK. Sophomore forward Kevin Gullickson says the best movie he's seen this year is Clerks II. Kevin, go see some more movies. Brian Butch's favorite TV show is "Grey's Anatomy." Do with that what you will. I'm going to cut him some slack after his elbow ended up on the wrong side of his arm against the Buckeyes.

3. What Else You Need to Know About These Guys. Center Greg Steimsma's favorite musical groups are Kenny Chesney & Korn. That's enough to make Peyton Manning excited & scared at the same time. Player of the Year candidate Alando Tucker is averaging 20 points per game and has the uncanny ability to get a shot off anywhere in traffic. He will surely be undervalued by NBA GM's this spring because he is a "tweener." Tucker's cell phone ring is the theme from "The People's Court." Many of us here in Wisconsin are hoping for a Judge Wapner style ruling this March in favor of Wisconsin. — Sam McClone

TEXAS A&M CORPUS CHRISTI ISLANDERS

1. The house that Arrow built. TAMUCC has only been part of the Texas A&M system since 1989. In 1998, they hired South Alabama coach Ronnie Arrow to create a Division-I basketball program out of thin air. He did just that, cobbling together a pair of respectable .500 seasons before earning Independent coach of the year honors three times. This year, the Islanders made their debut in the Southland Conference and compiled a 25-6 overall record. Someone ought to name a building after that guy.

2. Who invited these bastards? Northwestern State University upset No. 3 seed Iowa in the Big Dance in 2006. No doubt they and other Southland conference members were wolf-whistling like inmates at Oz catching sight of fresh meat when TAMUCC appeared on their schedule for the first time this year. Fast-forward to March, and the new guys have a dominant 13-1 record in the conference and have grabbed the auto-bid. Fellas, I think you've been hustled.

3. I haven't seen this many seniors since I visited Grandma at Del Boca Vista. The Islanders can start a very experienced lineup — five seniors, anchored by All-Southland Center Chris Daniels. When one of them needs a breather, two more fourth-year players are on the bench. But don't fret for next year's team. Brilliantly named junior college transfer Scooby Johnson is making his case to fill Daniels' enormous shoes. He was a perfect 5-for-5 for eleven points in the SLC Championship game. Eric Angevine

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(Last one of the day, honest.)

3. What Else You Need to Know About These Guys. Center Greg Steimsma's favorite musical groups are Kenny Chesney & Korn. That's enough to make Peyton Manning excited & scared at the same time. Player of the Year candidate Alando Tucker is averaging 20 points per game and has the uncanny ability to get a shot off anywhere in traffic. He will surely be undervalued by NBA GM's this spring because he is a "tweener." Tucker's cell phone ring is the theme from "The People's Court." Many of us here in Wisconsin are hoping for a Judge Wapner style ruling this March in favor of Wisconsin. — Sam McClone

The contest was also highlighted by a grotesque elbow injury to Wisconsin center Brian Butch early the game that left his arm looking like something other than an arm. Later, cameras caught Ohio State coach Thad Matta screaming at a ref, having his gum pop out of his mouth and onto the floor, and then re-inserting his gum into his mouth. Also, it was Billy Packer's birthday, so I hope you sent a card.

It was a very closely-contested game... the kind of game which doesn't give you a whole lot of insight as to who would win a rematch, should they meet again. Alando Tucker has 12 points and 8 boards for Wisconsin, while Greg Oden had 11 and 5 for Ohio State.

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin [CBS SportsLine]

A truly outstanding find from The Wizard Of Odds: Apparently, during the Joe Paterno broken leg game between Penn State and Wisconsin — JoePa's return has been pretty amazing, by the way; the guy's coaching this week — Badgers coach Bret Bielema either discovered a loophole in the controversial new 3-2-5-e rule or just pointed out its ridiculousness. The rule is meant to shorten games by keeping the clock running when it wouldn't ordinarily run — during kickoffs, for example — but as this move shows, it can also make for surreal scene that takes six minutes to run 20 seconds off the clock.

3-2-5-e Loophole Is Exploited [The Wizard Of Odds]

I went to Ross Ade Saturday expecting to see a good football game, but instead I saw a disrespectful showing, not by the football team, but by the student section. In the middle of the third quarter, a Boilermaker was injured at the end of a play. Usually when this happens, both home and away fans are silent out of respect for the injured player. But our student section cheered. Why? Because an inflatable penis showed up. And when the injured Boilermaker was helped off the field, we booed because the penis was hit out of the stands. Is this how much class we have left, that we are more entertained by an inflatable penis than we are concerned for an injured Boilermaker? If so, then I am embarrassed to call myself a Boilermaker. — Dustin Meyer, Senior, College of Civil Engineering.

A campus group hopes to strike again on Saturday in Purdue's game with Penn State, with their goal to "bring as many inflatable penises to the remaining home football games as possible."

Brad Sandberg, a junior in the College of Technology and a member of the group, said the penis adds a needed and different level of excitement at football games. "It's great," said Sandberg. "You see it pop up and you're like 'Oh, there it is again.' It adds some excitement because it's just a big (expletive) penis."

Other key quote: "Bennett said there is no University policy that students would be violating by bringing the penises to the games."

By the way, about that letter up above there ... we will confess that yes: We are more entertained by an inflatable penis than we are concerned for an injured Boilermaker. It is our curse, and we will surely someday burn for it, but this is undeniably true.

Inflatable Penis May Pop Back Up [The Exponent]
Fans' Disrespect Embarrasses Student [The Exponent]

UW-Madison is not releasing details on what happened during the bus trip to the Sept. 23 game against the University of Michigan. ... [Chancellor John] Wiley warned in the letter he would consider suspending activities and travel of the band or replacing its leadership if there were more reports of "gratuitous vulgarity, sexualized banter or joking, hazing, or other forms of demeaning conduct."

So, apparently, something so wretched and horrible and degrading and AWESOME happened on the Wisconsin band bus a few weeks ago that no one can even talk about it, though if it happens again, there's gonna be hell to pay. We've been researching around to see if we can get a sense of what happened, but, so far, no dice. If anybody has any info, let us know or, in lieu of that, please feel free to post your most grotesque, offensive and unsubstantiated theories in the comments. Fred Smoot had to have been involved somehow, right?

UW Band Must Face The Music [Madison State Journal]

(UPDATE: So the details have come out. They include:

Bah! That's it?!

ARIZONA

1. The Other 'Stached Star. Freshman Marcus Williams, maybe the most underhyped freshman in the nation, sports his own version of the '70's porn-stache, a la Gonzaga's Adam Morrison, but for a very awkward reason. Supposedly — and this comes from a girlfriend of his from high school — he sports the semi-facial hair because he feels his baby face isn't tough enough during hoops games. Hey, you can't knock the kid for anything he does; he's second in scoring for the Wildcats and is shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc, best on the team.

2. Our Most Famous Cheerleader Is An Old Man. It might seem odd, but 54-year-old Joe Cavaleri gets the crowd more pumped than the hottest blonde. (OK, 54 isn't that old.) Cavaleri, better known as the "Ohh Ahh Man," has been getting Wildcat crowds excited since he started in 1979, stripping off his top-tier t-shirt and getting a chant of "Arizona" going. He might not have a huge rack or short-shorts, but the "Ohh Ahh Man" is one of the best traditions at the school.

3. Handcuffs Anyone? Since the year started, senior guard Hassan "Hot Sauce" Adams has got in more trouble than Lorena Bobbitt at a "Playgirl" shoot. (Yeah!) Adams has been arrested twice: once for disturbing the peace and the other for driving under the influence of alcohol. Plus, he showed up late to a team meeting before a loss against Houston earlier this year, benching him for most of the first half. Adams is the team leader in points, steals and citations. — Shane Bacon

WISCONSIN

1. Alando The Egg Hunter. Alando Tucker, one of the more prolific scorers in the Big Ten at 18.9 ppg, lists the Easter Bunny as the most famous person he has ever met. He is serious too.

2. ChippenDevins. The UW assistant director of athletic communications made sure to accompany preseason All-Big Ten player Alando Tucker to Big Ten media day in Chicago this year after preseason All Big Ten player Devin Harris drove by himself in 2003 and forgot his pants.

3. Bisonized. The Badgers were 68-3 at the Kohl Center under Bo Ryan heading into their January 21 meeting with the North Dakota State Bison, who were coming off a loss to Utah Valley State. Needless to say, after the game the Badgers were 68-4. The game will go down as the biggest upset in Badger Basketball history, no doubt. — Scott Cayo

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2. ChippenDevins. The UW assistant director of athletic communications made sure to accompany preseason All-Big Ten player Alando Tucker to Big Ten media day in Chicago this year after preseason All Big Ten player Devin Harris drove by himself in 2003 and forgot his pants.

3. Bisonized. The Badgers were 68-3 at the Kohl Center under Bo Ryan heading into their January 21 meeting with the North Dakota State Bison, who were coming off a loss to Utah Valley State. Needless to say, after the game the Badgers were 68-4. The game will go down as the biggest upset in Badger Basketball history, no doubt. — Scott Cayo

We know Musburger isn't the most popular announcer among anyone under the age of 70, but we can't think of any broadcaster who's more entertaining. Last night, he actually said the phrase, "You've got to give serious props to Bruce Weber." His cadence makes every play — even a Brian Randle rebound and putback midway through the first half in an anonymous Big Ten midseason game — sound like The Shot Heard Round The World. This is excessive and repetitive, but we somehow we still love it; he's the broadcasting equivalent of whippets. But that enthausiasm is why we can't quit Brent; after 40-plus years in the business, after appearing in Rocky II and being mocked on "Saturday Night Live," the guy still is willing to hit the road and go cover a conference tilt in Madison in February. Musburger has been one of the few constants in all of our sports lives, and he keeps trucking along, saying "props," getting names wrong and giving us a head rush.

Plus, Brent's not afraid to drink in the car. Gotta respect that.

Brent Musburger, Public Nuisance [Deadspin]
Illini Get Huge Win At Wisconsin [Illini Wonk]

• Chris Mortenson is reporting that after meeting with his mother and his pastor, Vince Young is going to declare for the NFL draft. I think the pastor will be expecting the collection plates to get a little heavier in the near future.

• #7 Michigan State 63, #24 Wisconsin 82. Wisconsin administers a beating at the Kohl Center. Home court advantage appears to be everything in the Big 10. Impressive win for Wisconsin, who has lost only to Wake Forest and the very impressive and very good Pitt Panthers.