In this series, I want to look back on the memorable moments that defined the 2019-20 Badgers. This will not be a top-10 ranking of the best moments of the season from 10-1. Instead, I will go chronologically through the year and find ten moments that made 2019-20 unforgettable for Wisconsin basketball. Each moment will be accompanied by a word that describes this 2019-20 Badger basketball team, and in this installment, that word is the NCAA’s favorite phrase: student-athlete.
When the Badgers played host to the Northwestern Wildcats on March 4th, senior night was the story. Wisconsin was expected to handle the cellar-dwelling Cats, and did with a commanding 15-point win. The highlight of the night was before the game, when Brevin Pritzl and Michael Ballard were honored on senior night. Joining the two current Badgers was a player who had not been on the Kohl Center floor in more than two decades. Rashard Griffith, who played for the Badgers from 1993-1995, left after his junior season to turn pro. Recently, he fulfilled a promise made to his mother and finished his degree at UW. Wisconsin gave him the opportunity to have the senior night that never was. The 6-11, 45-year old ran out of the tunnel onto the Kohl Center court for a celebration that was over 25 years in the making.
It not only was the fulfillment of Griffith’s promise to his mother, but also an example of what this Wisconsin program stands for. Academics and a well-rounded college experience are essential to the Wisconsin way.