Stories from Senior Night: Each “Senior” Badger had their moment

MADISON – Yesterday evening, Wisconsin basketball cruised to their 7th straight win on senior night. Before UW defeated Northwestern in a 63-48 slugfest, the student section bowed in thanks as the Badgers began pregame festivities for their …

MADISON — Yesterday evening, Wisconsin basketball cruised to their 7th straight win on senior night. Before UW defeated Northwestern in a 63-48 slugfest, the student section bowed in thanks as the Badgers began pregame festivities for their graduating class. Then, thanks to a promise made to his mother over two decades ago, Rashard Griffith jogged out of the tunnel to Kohl Center cheers. Griffith played for the Badgers from 1993-1995 before becoming a second round pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1995. The Chicago native’s 15-year overseas career took him to the likes of Israel, Italy, and Puerto Rico, but in the end he returned home to Madison to finish school.

Griffith’s story of a promise kept is an exceptional one, and the story lines continued to write themselves as the night progressed. Although redshirt-junior Michael Ballard was never a part of Wisconsin’s rotation, the “we want Ballard” chants started early and often from Area Red. The people got what the people wanted. The walk-on checked in for the final minute and had the rock in his hands on the final possession of the game with the Badgers up 13. Does he dribble out the clock? Please, this is senior night. Ballard drove left and finished a layup high off of the glass with four seconds left. Not only did the play electrify the Badger bench and the Kohl Center faithful, but the bucket also gave Wisconsin a win against the Vegas spread.

Oh, Ballard. although taking a massive NCAA risk, did not want you to forget that he made Wisconsin bettors money (he meant the spread):

 

Brevin Pritzl had his senior night come at the height of his Badger career. The De Pere native is playing the best basketball of his time in Madison. More importantly, his success has translated to winning. When the sharpshooter has scored in double figures this season, UW is a perfect 11-0. Four of those double-figure scoring games have come in the midst of this seven-game winning streak, including a season-high 19 against the Buckeyes at home. Pritzl finished with 9 points, and received one of the largest ovations of the night during his curtain call in the final moments. The graduate senior sums up everything Wisconsin has been over the past month. He has shot the basketball with confidence, played quietly good defense, and has stayed positive through everything. Wisconsin basketball will miss all he has brought to this program when this journey ends, but you get the feeling it may just be getting started. This is March after all.