UW men's basketball: Seniors 'had a pretty good ride'
DETROIT — Brian Butch smiled after he was asked what he'll miss now that his career is over with the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team.
"The locker room stuff, the stupid stuff that we do that nobody sees," Butch said after Wisconsin's 73-56 loss to Davidson Friday night ended the Badgers' season and his collegiate career.
"I think anyone who has been an athlete realizes what happens in a locker room," said Butch. "It's just stupid stuff but it's stuff you remember for the rest of your life."
Fellow senior center Greg Stiemsma was still in disbelief after the game ended. He shared a long bear hug with senior guard Michael Flowers in the Badgers' locker room.
Stiemsma remembered Flowers helping him during his sophomore season after he was declared academically ineligible for the second semester. Stiemsma also was diagnosed with depression at the time.
"We've had each other's backs since we've been here. We're the guys who came in together and stuck it out," said Stiemsma. "There were times in both of our careers when there was some uncertainty and we just tried to pull each other through. I told him I was proud of him and he said the same thing.
"It's hard to look at it right now but we had a pretty good ride."
Flowers remembered Stiemsma helping him earlier this season during a difficult time when he had to take a leave of absence from the team.
"I thanked him for helping me get through the season. When I took my leave of absence, he was the main reason I stayed up and kept my chin up," Flowers said. "I just thanked him for that, told him I love him and apologized for not giving him another 40 minutes."
Flowers said he was to blame for the loss because he was defending Davidson's Stephen Curry, who finished with a game-high 33 points.
"It just sucks that I'm the reason why we're going home early," said Flowers.
Stiemsma said the whole team was feeling pain after the loss.
"I think we realize how much fun it was by how much this hurts and how upset we are that it's over," he said. "It seemed like we were having so much fun and having such a great ride and none of us were ready for it to be done yet. For it to come to an end like this just feels awful."
Associated Press
Michael Flowers (22) and the other Wisconsin seniors were around for 105 victories.
