UW MEN'S BASKETBALL: Badgers alone at the top
1:10 AM 3/06/03
Vic Feuerherd Wisconsin State Journal

There was no doubt in Devin Harris' mind after he watched his first free throw swirl around the rim and fall out with four-tenths of a second to play Wednesday night at the Kohl Center.

"All it did was cut off the option of missing the second free throw," Harris said matter-of-factly.

That's not all it did, though.

It put Harris in position to give the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team its first outright Big Ten Conference title in 56 years. He did just that when he swished his second shot to secure the Badgers' 60-59 heart-stopping victory over Illinois.

"It's all your adrenaline rushing through your head," freshman Alando Tucker said of standing in the free-throw lane after the first miss. "But I knew that once (Harris) had that second chance to look at the basket, I knew he was going to knock it down."

Harris was fouled by Illinois' Dee Brown on a drive down the left side of the lane, a play that reminded UW coach Bo Ryan of a Harris shot that was blocked by Daniel Horton in UW's Big Ten opener at Michigan back in January.

That time the Badgers didn't get the call and they lost. "We got the call here," Ryan said.

The ball was in Harris' hands for the win, unless he found senior Kirk Penney open. "I wasn't expecting the foul," Harris said of the call that often goes unmade in similar situations.

Nor was Illinois coach Bill Self. "We knew what they were going to do," Self said. "I don't know if we showed strong enough help. (Harris) made a quick move and found himself open."

That call and subsequent free throw left the Illini with less than half a second to get the ball in the basket 94 feet away. The Illini's last-ditch attempt fell short when Brian Cook was unable to get off the shot before the buzzer.

"It was going to be really difficult to get that shot off," Self said with a smile. "The official said, 'Don't worry, you have time to get off a shot.' Yeah. The horn blew way too fast. That's the sign of a good homecourt timer."

That's when all heck broke loose in the Kohl Center as many in the capacity crowd of 17,142 mobbed the Badgers on the court to celebrate their second straight conference championship.

Harris was all over the floor, not only scoring the winning point but adding a game-high nine rebounds to his 13 points. Penney led the Badgers with 14 points in his final game at the Kohl Center.

Cook led all scorers with 25 points. Brown added 20 for Illinois, but no one else scored more than four points.

Harris' free throw became a necessity after Cook tied the score at 59 with a turnaround jumper with 9.2 seconds left. It capped a rally in which the Illini recovered from a 59-52 deficit with 2 minutes to go. Cook hit a 3-pointer and Brown added a layup off a botched UW inbounds play before Cook closed Illinois' scoring on the short jumper from the left side.

"(Illinois) made an unbelievable charge at the end," Ryan said. "But if you hold on, everything looks bright."

This was a game that had everything going for it. Self said the atmosphere at the Kohl Center was better than any NCAA tournament game.

"It was a great game," Self said. "Badger fans, of course, think I'm crazy, but the wrong team won. Other than that, it was a great game."

Not only did the Badgers and Illini come in with the top records in the Big Ten, they were statistically the top two offensive and defensive teams in the league.

No. 24 UW was going for its first outright Big Ten championship since 1947 and its first back-to-back titles since 1923 and '24. No. 14 Illinois was seeking its first outright title since 1952 and its first three-peat after sharing the title the past two seasons.

"This is what we went after from the beginning," Ryan said of the regular-season title. "We didn't hide that."

It was the Badgers' 3-point shooting that allowed them to take a 32-26 lead at halftime. UW hit six of 13 shots from beyond the arc, with Harris hitting three of them in the final 7:47 to help UW gain the advantage. The Badgers made nine of 26 for the game, while Illinois made four of nine.

The Badgers pushed that lead to as many as 10 points in the second half (53-43) before the Illini came charging back.

But Harris had the final answer.

"We worked so hard for so long and we always said we haven't won anything yet," Penney said. "Now we have."

Penney gets the ride of his life
University of Wisconsin senior guard Kirk Penney has traveled all over the world to play basketball.

But the trip he took atop the shoulders of the fans who had spilled onto the Kohl Center court to celebrate the Badgers' second straight Big Ten Conference title Wednesday night might have been the ride of his life.

Penney was triumphantly hoisted on the shoulders of the fans after UW's 60-59 victory over Illinois, while the sellout crowd of 17,142 chanted his name. It was an emotional moment for Penney, a New Zealand native who has accomplished so much in his four years at UW.

"I don't think words can express the feeling," Penney said afterward. "This is completely a team effort. Everyone of us has enjoyed the journey, whether it was highs or lows or challenges and adversities, but here we are. We're all enjoying it."

It has been an especially incredible journey for Penney, a veteran of several international competitions with various New Zealand teams. He is in the top 10 in six categories in the UW record book. He was part of his 81st victory, tying him for the school record with Charlie Wills and Travon Davis, who were seniors last year.

Penney also had the stage to himself on Senior Night as the only senior on the team and was honored in a brief pregame ceremony, along with his father Paul.

"I've become a part of Madison," Penney said before the game. "I'll always think of this place so fondly. You're so proud to be a Badger. Those feelings will never change."

His father, who moved to Madison during Kirk's freshman year, was clearly moved by the moment.

"It's a dream," Paul Penney said at halftime, echoing the words his son has used to describe the experience. "I'm sure I was more nervous than (Kirk) today. My heart is in my mouth. I just want us to win this bloody thing."

Penney was able to put aside the emotions of the day and help the Badgers do just that. He played a full 40 minutes, scoring a team-high 14 points, with six rebounds and three assists in a typically well-rounded performance.
"I think over the last couple days, I've always been preparing for that mentally, just keeping your focus, because it is emotional," Penney said. "You know in (the locker room), it's the last time you're going to do it. To me, it's almost a matter of going through the routine, what I've done every time. That really helped. Now, I guess the emotion will come up a little bit."
The crowd chanted "MVP" when Penney was introduced during the trophy presentation after the game. He is a leading candidate to be the Big Ten Conference's Most Valuable Player, along with Illinois' Brian Cook, who scored a game-high 25 points.
But as usual, Penney was thinking about his teammates, who he quickly mentioned during the celebration and in postgame interviews.
"We worked for so long and always said, 'We haven't won anything yet, we haven't won anything yet,'" he said. "Now we have, back-to-back Big Ten champions." Tom Mulhern

Fans offer a rush
The University of Wisconsin men's basketball team and its fans are getting this celebration thing down pat.
For the second straight year, the Badgers won a Big Ten Conference title on their home court, beating Illinois 60-59 Wednesday night at the Kohl Center and touching off a wild celebration.
Just as they had done last year, when the Badgers ended a 55-year drought to share the title with three other teams, the fans rushed the court. Even though it was not quite as unexpected this year, the frenzy unleashed by the fans and players in the trophy celebration that followed the game was no less intense.
This time, the Badgers claimed the title to themselves, the first undisputed crown they have won since 1947. It's the first time they have won back-to-back titles since 1923 and '24.
Maybe outgoing UW athletic director Pat Richter was caught up in the moment, but when he addressed the crowd of 17,142 during the trophy presentation, he told coach Bo Ryan: "You've got those big guys coming. This is a dynasty for years to come."
Richter was referring to UW recruits Brian Butch, a senior at Appleton West, and Greg Stiemsma, a junior at Randolph, who were both at the game and seated behind the UW bench.
Ryan didn't shy away when asked about Richter's comments. "Those words are used by a person who has confidence, so that's OK," he said. "If it's used by somebody that doesn't have confidence, then I worry."
Butch, a 7-footer who is one of the top recruits in the country, expressed surprise at Richter's comment.
"I looked at Greg and me and him and just smiled," he said. But Butch said the frenzied atmosphere for the game was a big reason why he picked UW. He also praised the play of his future teammates. "These guys have done a great job getting (the program) where it's at," he said. "It's just amazing, coming to a place where these guys have been playing so hard." Then he gestured to the crowd and added: "That's the reason right here, why I came to Wisconsin."
In addition to Richter, UW Chancellor John Wiley, Gov. Jim Doyle, Ryan, senior Kirk Penney and sophomore Devin Harris addressed the crowd after the game.
Doyle told the crowd, "Bo for president." Richter said: "You put the Field House to rest tonight. This is the greatest crowd we've ever had."
Along with a terrific game, it made for another incredible atmosphere, which is what Ryan said he always hoped to be a part of here. "That's why I always felt if I could ever get here some day and get to be a part of this, there's absolutely nothing like it," he said. "What I can tell you is, that's sweet, that's athletics, that's college the way it should be. That's fun." Tom Mulhern