Fans put too much stock in March Madness losses
By Ben Breiner | Mar. 24, 2010In the minds of anyone who watches college basketball, NCAA Tournament losses stand apart.
In the minds of anyone who watches college basketball, NCAA Tournament losses stand apart.
Three Wisconsin men's hockey players were mistakenly arrested during a taping of the NBC program ""Dateline"" when their trashy playoff mustaches attracted the attention of police officers on the lookout for pedophiles.
This column is part three in John Pounder's at-least-12-part series on press box temperatures, which will run from now until he sheds his mangina.
Through the regular season and WCHA Tournament, Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves and his players often referenced ""intermediate goals,"" from hosting a first round playoff series to finishing in the top three of the WCHA to earning an extra day off in the Final Five. Now, with the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament looming, those intermediate goals have been replaced with immediate ones that the team must accomplish to fulfill the ultimate goal of bringing a national championship home to Madison.
For the Wisconsin men's hockey team, the road to the Frozen Four starts here. The Badgers will begin the NCAA tournament against Vermont Friday night at the Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, Minn., knowing that they are four wins away from claiming their seventh national title.
The Wisconsin men's tennis team suffered its first loss of the conference season in Sunday's opener at the hands of No. 11 Illinois in a heart-wrenching 4-3 decision.
Rivalry aside, the Twin Cities might be starting to feel a lot like home for the Wisconsin men's hockey team. The Badgers learned Sunday that they would be the top seed in the West Regional, hosted at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. This marks the third time in the last four weekends that the Badgers will play in the metropolitan area, and the second straight at the Xcel.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Wisconsin men's hockey team faced two very different goaltenders at the WCHA Final Five.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — With four of the top six teams in the country taking the ice at the Xcel Energy Center after becoming familiar with each other throughout the regular season, execution and energy stood as the main determinants.
The Wisconsin women's basketball team, appearing in its first NCAA tournament game since 2002, had a strong amount of momentum heading into Sunday's first round matchup against Vermont. However, the Badgers ran into a Catamount team with veteran leadership, strong poise, and stellar shooting, and fell to Vermont, 64-55.
They say defense wins championships, but having a good offense doesn't hurt either.
The Wisconsin women's basketball team, receiving its first NCAA tournament bid since 2002 and just seventh overall, were handsomely rewarded for their strong efforts all season with a seventh seed. The Badgers take on the No. 10 seed Vermont Catamounts Sunday at noon in South Bend, Ind.
March Madness is finally upon us and I couldn't be more excited. The Badgers have a No. 4 seed, there are no clear-cut favorites besides Kansas and there are a plethora of upsets waiting to happen—it's going to be a fantastic tournament. That being said I'm still a little disappointed with the chance of any Big Ten team making a deep run. What follows is my attempt to be a Joe Lunardi-wannabe in analyzing the Big Ten's Big Dance possibilities.
The Badgers' quest for an NCAA Championship begins today as Wisconsin takes on Wofford in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
One might think there is a temptation among members of the Wisconsin men's hockey team to take their Friday contest against St. Cloud State in the WCHA Tournament semifinal for granted. After all, the Badgers spent nearly the entire year at the top level of the conference, joined by only one team—Denver—a squad they could face for the conference playoff championship Saturday night.
After three straight victories at home, the Wisconsin men's tennis team takes on its highest-ranked opponent yet this season in Sunday's conference opener against No. 11 Illinois.
Columnist's note: Yes it's almost March Madness, yes the column name has changed but somehow it's about hockey. Well here's the thing, the Dance has been analyzed and overanalyzed with most points of view being taken. This column could throw out something outlandish with the hope it would grab attention or move over already traveled ground and get lost in the noise. Instead, it's about hockey. Enjoy the column and the most wonderful two days of the sports year.
With the eyes of Wisconsin sports fans fixated on this weekend's NCAA basketball tournament and WCHA playoffs, senior quarterback Scott Tolzien and the Wisconsin football team quietly began their spring practices this week.
This year's WCHA Tournament has not exactly been upset-heavy.
You would be hard pressed to find a better week for sports fans than this one.