With No. 3 Michigan coming to town Saturday, the most common question I am getting has nothing to do with Wisconsin’s ability to defend sophomore guard Trey Burke or with Michigan’s lack of interior depth. No, the question I am getting time after time is simply: “Will we rush the court if we win?”
I hate this question. Not because I am not interested in thinking about what another top-5 victory would mean for the Badgers’ Big Ten title and NCAA Tournament hopes, but rather because I am simply sick of the whole idea of rushing itself.
Before I go into the meat of this diatribe, let me give you a quick list of this year’s incidents of floor rushing in college basketball alone:
California beat Oregon (Oregon’s tenth-straight loss to Cal). Butler beat Gonzaga. Days later, LaSalle beat Butler. North Carolina State beat Duke. Then Maryland beat NC State (Maryland had won 10 of its last 11 against the Wolfpack). Villanova beat Louisville. Then the Wildcats beat Syracuse (yes, two court rushes from the same team in one week). Northern Iowa beat Wichita State (Ali Farokmanesh sighs).
That is just a sampling of the epidemic. Storming the court is no longer reserved for just the rare monumental upsets and program-defining wins, now fans feel it is just part of the game day experience. Beat a “better” team and you rush the floor in jubilation.
Wisconsin is far from immune from the plague of court/field “storming.” In just the last four years alone, students have rushed the court twice at the Kohl Center and twice at Camp Randall. Though two of those victories came over top-ranked and undefeated Ohio State teams (making the case for rushing exist, albeit weakly), only the December 2009 victory over No. 5 Duke was actually an upset according to the Vegas powers-that-be.
When you take down No. 1, you have at least a legitimate argument for the type of euphoric reaction that results in masses of students on the field or court. But if we are being quite honest, such a reaction looks quite silly when your team enters the game favored to win.
Under Bo Ryan, Wisconsin has lost just 17 games at home. Ever. In more than 12 years.
So when the Badgers win another game, even if the opponent happens to be a top-5 team, is it really a surprise?
Of course not. And that is precisely why the Grateful Red has no business rushing the floor Saturday should UW find a way to get the victory.
Though no coach or player will ever admit it, fan reactions such as the now requisite “storming” do have an impact on the team psyche. Rushing the floor sends a direct message that you have just done something you had no business doing, that winning that game was a once-in-a-lifetime feat worth cherishing by way of hysteric celebration.
But winning big games should be an expectation, especially for a team with the track record of success that UW has. Wisconsin students have no business rushing the floor because they should expect to beat Michigan.
Taking a step back, the big picture issue with frequent incidents of floor rushing, besides safety, is that the growing prevalence of the celebration diminishes its meaning. Legitimate incidents such as Northwestern beating Michigan State last season or Drake taking down Creighton just two weeks after falling to the Jays by 30 are discredited by the decisions of student sections at Maryland, Villanova and California to rush, when rushing was absolutely not a warranted reaction to victory.
The conferences and the NCAA have tried to take steps to stop the practice of storming due to safety concerns, but that is not the correct course of action. When rushing is legitimate, the safety issues still remain, but the euphoria should not be restricted or become subject to penalty. Having said that, the entire college basketball community, especially players and coaches, needs to take a stand against useless displays of excitement.
Adding to the efforts of players in Wichita and at Missouri—who explicitly motioned to students to stay in place—programs need to educate their students and fans not only about the dangers of the practice but more importantly about the message it sends.
Championship programs expect to win big games and thus have fans who feel no need to go over-the-top in their celebration of such victories. Players and coaches already get this, and it’s about time students begin to understand it all the same.
So back to Wisconsin: If the Badgers defeat Michigan Saturday afternoon, please stay off the floor. Forget whether it’s safe or not, just think about the message you send by acting as if you don’t expect Wisconsin to compete with the best. Think about that and then head for the exits to celebrate in a dignified fashion.
Do you think this season’s court storms have been justified? Let Max know by shooting him an email at sports@dailycardinal.com.
