The week couldn't have started much worse for Kammron Taylor. And, judging by his reaction as the buzzer sounded Saturday, it could not have ended much better.
With 3.9 seconds left, senior forward Alando Tucker set a screen for Taylor, and No. 23 knocked down the biggest shot of his Badger career, a 3-pointer to give the Badgers a two-point lead over Michigan State. And shortly after Spartan junior point guard Drew Nietzel's desperation 3-pointer came up short, clinching a 52-50 victory for the Badgers, Taylor leapt on top of the scorer's table with the capacity crowd raucously cheering behind him.
""It was a big relief,"" Taylor said. ""I'm sure you could tell by the expression on my face.""
Including the last two losses against MSU and Ohio State, as well as the first 39 minutes, 56 seconds of Saturday's contest, Taylor combined to shoot 5-of-26, but that didn't deter the senior is his final game in Madison from taking the big shot.
""You can never lose confidence in your shot,"" Taylor said. ""I'm not the type of person to lose confidence.""
Saturday marked Senior Day for Taylor, Tucker and center Jason Chappell. While Chappell scored three points, Tucker shined as usual for Wisconsin (13-3 Big Ten, 27-4 overall). He padded his Player of the Year resumAc even further, scoring half of the Badger points, with 26, shooting 3-of-6 from behind the arc and 9-of-12 from the foul line.
With other Badgers struggling from the field (Taylor's eight points were second on the club), Tucker took it upon himself to lead UW. Trailing 34-31, Tucker knocked down a three with just over nine minutes remaining to tie the game. Soon after that, Tucker drove and kicked it out to an open Taylor for three.
Following a score by MSU's Goran Suton, who tied his conference-season-high with 16 points, Tucker scored four consecutive points to give the Badgers a six-point lead with 6:45 remaining.
But Neitzel wasn't done. With shades of his 28-point outburst in East Lansing, the junior nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the game. The ailing Neitzel played all 40 minutes and led the Spartans with 22 points.
""He's a gamer,"" Badger head coach Bo Ryan said. ""I really don't want to have to guard him again. Let me put it to you this way, I don't know if Mike [Flowers] does.""
And after another Tucker three, Neitzel unleashed a devastating crossover, pulled up and converted on an eventual 3-point play, drawing the foul from Flowers. Following two Flowers free throws, MSU's Drew Naymick and Netizel put the Spartans up by one.
And that set up the Taylor conversion. Entering the play shooting 1-of-8, with his first shot coming just over eight minutes prior, Taylor didn't hesitate.
""If it's an omen, we'll find out,"" Ryan said. ""But what a great way to walk off the court here for the last time.""
Neitzel then inbounded the ball to Suton, who handed it right back to the guard. Neitzel rushed up the court and got off a good heave, but the shot came up short, grazing the bottom of the net.
The celebration subsequently erupted in the Kohl Center, capped off by a video tribute to Taylor, Tucker and Chappell.
""You can't ask for a lot more from this group, but they claim they got more,"" Ryan said. ""They say they're not done yet, but we'll see. I'll be right there with them.""
The Spartans fought foul trouble the entire game in their backcourt. Raymar Morgan fouled out late in the ball game and Travis Walton and Maurice Joseph had four each.
Also, sophomore forward Marcus Landry saw the first start of his Badger career as the Badgers played their first game without the injured Brian Butch. Landry collected all four of his points in the first three minutes, with two putbacks, including a huge slam off a Tucker miss.
The Badgers could easily see Michigan State again, as the Spartans battle Northwestern Thursday in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago. The Badgers' matchup against the winner is set for 5:40 p.m. at the United Airlines Arena.
