INDIANAPOLIS'How do you understand another person's worth?
One way is to try to know them. In basketball terms, you can know a player's worth by how many points he scores and how many wins his team earns.
These qualities are tangible. They can be broken down, analyzed and scrutinized.
But can you measure the intangibles' courage, toughness and heart?
It is much more difficult. It requires careful study, attention to detail and a little bit of luck.
Sitting directly behind the Iowa bench for the Iowa-Wisconsin game, I had the opportunity to witness first-hand the intangibles of the Hawkeye players and coaches.
While Iowa Head Coach Steve Alford was exciting, the person who kept my attention was Hawkeye senior guard Luke Recker.
By now, everyone knows the story of Recker.
Growing up in Indiana, Recker was a state high school legend in basketball and was named Mr. Basketball in 1997. At Indiana University, he played under embattled former Head Coach Bob Knight. He grew unhappy and transferred to Arizona after two years, becoming a traitor to the fans of Hoosier Basketball.
For those that do not understand,basketball is to Indiana what the Green Bay Packers are to Wisconsin'an institution.
While that story is inspiring, that is not the Recker I saw Friday afternoon.
During the game, I saw a leader who encouraged his team and led by example.
After a media timeout late in the first half, during which he encouraged his team to get going, he drew a charging foul, stole a pass and scored within the first 30 seconds.
I saw a Recker who played through a painful right ankle. Even when Alford wanted Recker to rest in the second half, he refused.
Rather, he gutted it out. With a pained face that reflected the limp in his step, Recker took over the contest.
With the score 44-39 in favor of Wisconsin, Recker scored 14 consecutive points to pull the Hawkeyes within three. After Hawkeye senior forward Duez Henderson tied the game at 56, Iowa had the ball with 8.5 seconds remaining.
Everyone in the building knew who was going to get the last shot: Recker.
\Going into the last play of the game, Recker was 18-of-23 in the last two games, so I was hoping and praying that he would get the last shot,"" Alford said.
He did.
Driving the lane, Recker pulled up and drained an off-balance jumper to give Iowa a two-point lead with 1.4 seconds remaining. The Badgers could not inbound the ball well and Iowa sealed the 58-56 victory.
""I didn't think [Wisconsin] would allow me a good look,"" Recker said. ""Fortunately, I got to the lane and was able to rise up and hit the jumper. It was one of those things where I just went by what they gave me and luckily it went in.""
Recker's game-winning shot unleashed emotions of excitement and relief on Recker's face.
For one Friday, at least, I saw up close a character and heart that I had not seen in anyone prior to the Iowa-Wisconsin contest.
I may have known more about Luke Recker's life by watching the SportsCentury about him.
But Friday afternoon, I understood the real Luke Recker.
