Jason Chappell's eyes get wide and a smile creeps across his face when he talks about it. He remembers it well. Sophomore Devin Harris drained the last of his two free throws with 0.4 seconds left against Illinois, and the Kohl Center just erupted.
""The whole building, you could feel it, [there was] just so much energy,"" the now senior center said. ""After the game everybody rushed the court, it was just wild.""
It was Chappell's freshman year and the Badgers had won the Big Ten regular season title. And while their chances at being the sole champions this season are dim, two more wins and they guarantee at least a share of the title.
But it certainly won't be easy. Sunday, the Badgers stroll into Columbus to take on an Ohio State club that has not lost since they came to the Kohl Center Jan. 9, a streak of 12 wins.
During that time, the Badgers (12-2 Big Ten, 26-3 overall) have lost twice, most recently Tuesday's nine-point defeat at the hands of Drew Neitzel and Michigan State. For Chappell and the Badgers, the roadblocks can't get in the way of team's ultimate goal.
""Any time you're going out for a conference title, it's never going to be easy. You're always going to take a few bumps along the way,"" Chappell said. ""You just got to use those bumps to bring you together stronger, instead of bring you apart.""
But for the Badgers, being apart has never been an issue. As the Badgers contend for their 17th Big Ten regular season title in program history, every player is focused on a series sweep of Ohio State.
With the Buckeyes (13-1, 25-3), the conversation begins with freshman center Greg Oden. OSU's most prominent player has averaged a double-double since the Badgers 72-69 victory. That's included 24 points and 15 rebounds against Tennessee, 29 points and 10 rebounds against Iowa, and 17 and 17 against Northwestern, among others.
The Badgers were able to get Oden in foul trouble last game and held him to 10 points and 7 boards. But what impresses the Wisconsin coaches and players about the big man most is his ability to catch the ball in the post.
""He's got such great hands,"" junior forward Brian Butch said. ""He definitely works on that part of his game a lot.""
While Oden is the anchor for the Buckeyes, the motor has to be his classmate, point guard Mike Conley Jr. Averaging 10 points and 6.5 assists-per-game, the runner-up to Oden in last year's Indiana's Mr. Basketball voting, has been nothing short of a spark plug.
Head coach Bo Ryan has recognized Conley's improvement over the course of his first year.
""He's real good. He can do a lot of things,"" Ryan said. ""He can attack, he can pull up, defensively he can get after people, he'll take a charge more than some point guards. He's not afraid to stick his nose in. He's a competitor.""
While the Badgers are looking for a share of the conference title, the Buckeyes are too. And same goes for OSU—a win Sunday puts them in great shape to accomplish that feat.
But the Badgers aren't going to roll over that easily.
""To think about what's at stake with the Big Ten championship, I've dreamed about this my whole life,"" sophomore forward Joe Krabbenhoft said. ""This is crucial.""
