Despite the plethora of success achieved by UW athletics over the past year, only one program stands out as The Daily Cardinal's premiere team of 2002-'03: the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team.
Winning back-to-back conference championships for the first time since the 1923-'24 seasons, recording a school-record 24 victories and also earning a trip to the Sweet 16, the UW basketball program established itself as a powerhouse in both the Big Ten conference and the nation.
With only one senior on the roster, guard Kirk Penney, the preseason wrap on the Badgers was that they were too young, inexperienced and lacking in offense to contend in the Big Ten. Throughout the season, the Badgers seemed unprepared for Big Ten competition. However, UW rose to the occasion and finished the regular season as the sole conference champion.
Under Head Coach Bo Ryan's tutelage, the Badgers epitomized the team game, as they understood each other's roles and primed themselves by working hard day in and day out. Since the day he accepted the job as the leader of the men's basketball program, Ryan has been not only an exceptional coach, but a great teacher as well. By getting the younger players to buy into the team concept and preparing them for conference play, the two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year has successfully been able to exercise his swing offense and suffocating defense.
Ryan's greatness is right there for everyone to see. His Badgers have won 43 games in his first two seasons as head coach, the most in UW history. In addition, among all the controversy with coaches in Division I athletics, Ryan's work ethic, great attitude and amiability stamp him as one of the great guys in college basketball and helped his team have such a triumphant season.
Led by honorable mention all-American Penney, the Badger players had ups and downs on the court this season, but in the end the good far outweighed the bad. With victories over perennial studs Michigan State, Illinois, Michigan and Indiana and losses to Purdue and Penn State, the Badgers found the will and the way to pull out the toughest of victories in the most hostile of atmospheres.
Penney's 16.2 points per game paced all five starters averaging double-digit scoring for the season, the most surprising of which came from freshman forward Alando Tucker. In addition to the emergence of sophomore guard Devin Harris and sophomore forward Mike Wilkinson, the Badgers set the foundation for a great season and an equally great future.
In addition to the various landmark achievements from the 2002-'03 campaign, the season also marked the beginning of a new era in Wisconsin athletics. Wisconsin can no longer be recognized solely as a football school, as Ryan, his players and staff and the entire athletic department have finally placed the Badgers' basketball program on the map. Look for more progress next year.
Honorable Mention: Women's Hockey
When the 2002 football season kicked off last August there were various members of the UW squad that people anticipated making a major impact on the Big Ten season, as well as on the national scene. However, one of the more unlikely candidates, sophomore defensive back Jim Leonhard, stepped forward and proved to be the most valuable player on Wisconsin's football team.
For Leonhard, a 5'8"" walk-on, it took only seven minutes to make a lasting impression on Badger fans and show a glimpse of what was to come for the rest of the season, when he intercepted Fresno State quarterback Jeff Grady's pass and returned the ball 24 yards in the Badgers' first game of the season.
Leonhard added a second interception later that game and was well on his way to an NCAA-leading 11 interceptions.
Other than playing his best games at the most important times-two picks against Fresno State, two against Minnesota and one against Colorado in the Alamo Bowl-Leonhard shattered UW records and received recognition from around the country. Leonhard broke the school record of interceptions (9) set by Neovia Greyer in 1970, tied UW's school record of 25 pass break-ups (which also led the Big Ten) and tied the all-time Big Ten record in interceptions (11). He was named a second-team all-American and has already been placed on the 2003 Nagurski Award Watch List for best defensive player in the nation.
Furthermore, Leonhard improved a defensive backfield that had struggled immensely the year before. For his efforts, Leonhard received nothing but praise and admiration from his teammates, who named him one of the four captains for the upcoming 2003 season.
While equalling his incredible performance of last year might seem like a tall task, remember that no one expected Leonhard to be a starter on the team last year anyways.
There is no reason he won't surprise us all again.
Honorable mention: Kirk Penney, Men's basketball
In naming Chris Clark as The Daily Cardinal's Coach of the Year, the Cardinal ignored campus-wide and nation-wide recognition and instead selected a man with little acknowledgement and even less fanfare who created a team ripe for a national title run, even in the midst of continuing adversity.
Considering that the men's rowing team lost assistant coach Dylan Cappell to stomach cancer as well as former team captain Alan Geweke to an unexpected death within the span of eight months, not much was expected from the team.
However, Clark in that same time has taken Wisconsin's men's rowing team and with a class of talented seniors crafted a varsity squad that is primed for it's first national title in 14 years in the varsity eight event, a year, after winning the team's first varsity eight conference title in 55 years.
""With the loss of both Dylan and Alan, I have certainly gained and refocused my own perspective on life, and enjoyed every opportunity I've had in working with the young men I have on my team."" Clark said.
""Furthermore, the fact that with this particular group we have a legitimate shot at achieveing something great, well, it makes it all the better.""
National title or no, Clark has already proven his mettle and skill as a coach in developing and prepping a team capable of conquering adversity. He, and the team, deserves our deepest congratulations.
Honorable mention: Bo Ryan, Men's basketball
A solid corps of skill players, the hottest goalie combination in the league and an exciting, experienced new coach. These were all things that were supposed to lift Wisconsin men's hockey to the next level for the 2002-'03 season, but now only have fans wondering what went wrong.
The problems for Badger hockey did not take long to appear. Along with the transition from the legendary Jeff Sauer to Mike Eaves came a new system for the team to adapt to. Though the freshmen did not have as many problems, the upperclassmen found it hard to break from their traditional style and did not catch on until it was too late. Without the team on the same page, offense was limited.
On the ice, the main strength of the Badgers continually faltered. Preseason all-conference goalie senior Scott Kabotoff struggled from the start and only offered glimpses of what had made him a star the year before. Though sophomore netminder Bernd Bruckler proved himself among the elite, the lack of depth in net haunted the Badgers on more than one occasion.
Power plays proved to be Wisconsin's bane until the last month of the season. Until a late surge by the special teams, the Badgers were among the worst in Division I on the man advantage, not only struggling to score but also struggling to get good shots off. By not taking advantage of the opportunities presented to them, Wisconsin found playing catch-up to be a daunting task.
Wisconsin men's hockey was not without its positives, however. The quick development of the freshman class should serve the Badgers well in coming years and the elevation of Bruckler to star status gives the team insurance on the defensive side. Unfortunately for UW though, the negatives greatly outweigh the positives.
Should the players start next season with the same momentum they finished with this year, good things will be discernible on the horizon. In regards to this past season, however, Badger hockey was simply disappointing.
Honorable Mention: Women's Basketball
