This past Wisconsin men's basketball season was something that will go down as one of my favorite memories of college.
The chance to cover the sport and school I watched growing up honestly seemed like a dream at times over these past five months.??
Having the honor of sitting courtside during an undefeated home campaign was not only an unbelievable parting gift being a senior, but it was simply something I will never forget: being able to watch the team I root for more than anyone compete less than five feet from me.
I was also lucky enough to travel on the road to catch a few games with the comforts of those front-row seats always there as well. While I took enough trips to Indiana to last me quite some time, the drives gave me a great chance to realize-maybe the first time-how much I was really enjoying what I was doing and what I was going to school for.
With the role of a journalist always at the forefront, for every game that I had the best seat in the house, I could do everything but cheer or root for the Badgers (something I found out the hard way). While many times I would have teeth marks in my arm or lip, it was a small price to pay to say the least. Because in addition to the rocking seats, I got access to every stat you could think of, and also a chance to talk to coaches and players immediately following games.
Now, for any fan, that's just unreal. And for any aspiring journalist, it's a lot of fun because many times, the players (who you sometimes forget are our age) are just as nervous in talking as you are.
In between the wins and the losses, many highs and a few tough lows, I also got the opportunity to watch the team fine-tune the ship during weekly practices.
The constant ritual I got myself into of attending practice for quotes for stories not only gave me a chance to watch more basketball, but it also further increased my obsession with the sport and promoted more ridiculous conversations between my sports-obsessed roommates and me ... something that only made us all closer.
Because I got to drag my roommates to a couple road games and rare practices, even they got to enjoy the behind-the-scenes look into the Badgers that, during much of the season, I feel like I lived for. For that reason alone, this experience as editor has been everything and more.
In many of my attempts at writing this year, I have tried to refrain from throwing in the fans' perspective in pieces and writing too much about the team in my columns. Well, the season is over now and in one of the most recent discussions with my comrades, I enticed them to select their top three moments of this past season. For the sake of my diehard Badger roommates and the fan that's in me, here are our favorite Badger basketball moments from the 2003-'04 season.
-As great as the comeback and win in overtime was, it was the feeling that we couldn't be beat by the Spartans that really marks this moment. Devin was superb and Clayton was clutch, but the sight of Paul Davis crying was oh too beautiful.
-We thought the championship game between the Badgers and Illinois brought the single best play of the year. Undoubtedly a lasting image in a lot of people's minds, the sight of Boo's alley-oop to Devin was an exclamation point not only on the game, but on a dominating tournament run. Being courtside and in front of Illinois fans helps make that one a good memory as well.
-Now, of all the highlights of this season, our single favorite sequence and one that I will never forget, was during the second half of the first-round tournament game with Richmond. After Devin nailed two free throws, he immediately turned to head back down the court but first made a stop in the ears of the Richmond guard wearing No. 12. Talking trash unlike any other I have ever seen, Devin not only talked No. 12 immediately onto the bench not to return for the rest of the contest, but he invigorated our players to the point where they weren't going to take being pushed around in the first round. The emotion in our players that ensued is something I'll never forget seeing because it was something we all felt. We all wanted to slap the floor like Devin, and we all wanted to stick our tongue out, smile and get T-ed up like Zach did. Oh yeah, and we ended up winning the game.
sports@dailycardinal.com.
