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 winning.
This team found multiple ways to win. More importantly, this team won games when it mattered in February and March. Their backs were against the wall because of adversity on and off the floor. After rattling off seven straight wins, Wisconsin found themselves playing for a Big Ten regular season championship at Assembly Hall against Indiana. Any UW fan knew that the Indiana game would be anything but easy. The Hoosiers were playing for everything themselves, as a team that was firmly on the bubble.
Wisconsin did not come out with their best, and found themselves down nine in the second half. Through massive Micah Potter rebounds, Brad Davison threes, and D’Mitrik Trice dealing in the high pick-and-roll, the Badgers mounted a comeback that gave them a championship.
The team announced that there would be a celebration that same day at the Kohl Center, and with just a few hours of turnaround, masses of Badger fans formed lines outside the arena. After taking the team on a joyride down Langdon Street, Wisconsin’s fraternity row, the bus pulled up to the Kohl Center entryway. Brevin Pritzl stepped off the bus with a Big Ten trophy in his hand, and the party was on. Coaches and players alike made their way down the middle of two packed rows of fans. It was the championship scene that this team deserved.