Midwest Sports Fans - Sports Blog

Time 2020-07-21 04:04:29

Web Name: Midwest Sports Fans - Sports Blog

WebSite: http://www.midwestsportsfans.com

ID:30176

Keywords:

Sports,Midwest,Blog,

Description:

A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports FansBadgers Enact Revenge, End Kentucky s Bid For PerfectionApril 5, 2015 By Zach Rastall On a wild Saturday night in Indianapolis, the Wisconsin Badgers earned a victory that s significance rivals that of any other in program history.The Badgers brought down previously unbeaten Kentucky 71-64 in a Final Four rematch at Lucas Oil Stadium, which not only ended the Wildcats quest for perfection, but also sent Wisconsin into the national championship game for the first time since 1941 and provided a cathartic win to a fan base that was still haunted by the memory of the Aaron Harrison 3-pointer that ended the Badgers season in last year s Final Four.But all of a sudden, Harrison s cold-blooded dagger over the outstretched arm of Josh Gasser seems like a distant memory, as the Badgers have exorcised their Big Blue demons and now will get another crack at a Duke team that came into the Kohl Center earlier this season and beat them.To earn that shot at its first national title in 74 years, Wisconsin had to put its extremely efficient offense on display against the country s most formidable defense. It was a classic example of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, and this time, the unstoppable force was victorious.According to Ken Pomeroy s adjusted offensive efficiency ratings, the Badgers not only boast the country s most efficient offense this season, but also the most efficient offense since Pomeroy began tracking tempo-free statistics in 2002. They did more of the same Saturday night, scoring 1.23 points per possession against a Kentucky team that came into the night with the best defense of the KemPom era.It was certainly an impressive feat, and one that was fueled by Wisconsin s dynamic frontcourt duo of Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker.Kaminsky recorded game highs of 20 points and 11 rebounds, putting forth yet another Wooden Award-caliber performance on his 22nd birthday.As for Dekker, he continued his March Madness surge and pulled out some late-game heroics for a second straight game. Dekker scored 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range. This brought his total to 15-of-30 from beyond the arc during the NCAA Tournament. During the regular season, he had gone just 35-155 on 3-pointers.He was also pivotal for the Badgers late in the second half, where they came up big as the Wildcats faltered in the waning minutes of the game.Wisconsin went over seven minutes in the second half without a field goal, allowing Kentucky to use an 8-0 run to take a 60-56 lead. But with their backs against the wall, the Badgers showed off the kind of resiliency that has become a defining trait for this team, using a 15-4 run over the last 4:26 of regulation to dethrone the Wildcats.This stretch included a huge triple from Dekker with under two minutes to go, which put UW ahead for good. We got down today a little bit, but we didn t change our expression, we didn t change what we did, we didn t freak out, Dekker said. We knew if we played our game, we d get back into it, come back, crawl back. After Dekker s three, Wisconsin took care of business from the charity stripe and was provided with one more moment of catharsis when Harrison, the man who crushed their dreams of a national title one year ago, fouled out in the final seconds of the game.But as thrilling and significant of a win as it was for the Badgers, they didn t spend too much time celebrating, instead choosing to focus on their next challenge: squaring off against the Duke Blue Devils on Monday night.In fact, as Gasser high-fived the Wisconsin student fans in attendance on his way back to the locker room, he had only one thing to say to them: One more game, one more game. Extremely proud of the way our guys hung in there when it looked like we dug ourselves a hole that we could never get out of, UW head coach Bo Ryan said. They re just on a mission. This is such a special group. I have not been around a group quite like this. Filed Under: Analysis, CBB, March Madness Tagged With: Bo Ryan, final four, Frank Kaminsky, kentucky wildcats, Sam Dekker, Wisconsin BadgersWild-Avalanche Rivalry Reaching New HeightsMarch 8, 2015 By Zach Rastall In sports everyone loves a good rivalry, and the National Hockey League is no exception.From Bruins-Canadiens to Red Wings-Avalanche, the NHL has a rich history of intense rivalries between teams and fan bases that love nothing more than to hate [Continue reading] about Wild-Avalanche Rivalry Reaching New HeightsFiled Under: Analysis, NHL Tagged With: colorado avalanche, Minnesota Wild, NHL, Patrick RoySuper Bowl XLIX Is Tom Brady s Crowning AchievementFebruary 4, 2015 By Zach Rastall Regardless of what happened Sunday night in Glendale, Tom Brady was going to go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. But after helping spark the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in Super Bowl history, Brady now finds himself [Continue reading] about Super Bowl XLIX Is Tom Brady s Crowning AchievementFiled Under: Analysis, NFL, Super Bowl Tagged With: Joe Montana, new england patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Super Bowl XLIX, tom bradyRoyal Rumble: Triple Threat Title Match Steals ShowJanuary 26, 2015 By Zach Rastall Thanks to a Philadelphia crowd that sucked all the energy out of the Wells Fargo Center after Daniel Bryan was eliminated, the main event of the WWE's Royal Rumble was a bit of a disappointment this year. However, the triple threat match for the WWE [Continue reading] about Royal Rumble: Triple Threat Title Match Steals ShowFiled Under: Analysis, WWE Tagged With: brock lesnar, John Cena, Royal Rumble, Seth RollinsBill Belichick Delivers Press Conference for the AgesJanuary 25, 2015 By Zach Rastall Bill Belichick has accomplished a ton throughout the course of his Hall of Fame coaching career, including 211 regular-season wins, an NFL-record 21 postseason victories and three Super Bowl titles. But on Saturday afternoon, he delivered his magnum [Continue reading] about Bill Belichick Delivers Press Conference for the AgesFiled Under: Analysis, NFL Tagged With: bill belichick, DeflateGate, new england patriots, NFL, tom bradyGo to page 1Go to page 2Go to page 3Interim pages omitted Go to page 2644Go to Next Page Primary SidebarSearch this websiteChoose a TopicChoose a Topic Random Viral Story:Is this the most unintentionally hilarious page layout in newspaper history? (Or just a clever ad ?)July 27, 2011 By Jerod Morris Attention: we interrupt today s trade deadline rumblings and grumblings to bring you a brief moment of comic relief. Behold, the most unintentionally hilarious page layout in newspaper history.See more Viral Stories[footer_backtotop] Powered by Synthesis Managed WordPress HostingCopyright 2020 Midwest Sports Fans | Privacy Policy

TAGS:Sports Midwest Blog 

<<< Thank you for your visit >>>

Midwest Sports Fans is a blog is a blog about sports, and occasionally other topics, by folks who grew up somewhere in the midwest.

Hot Websites