INDIANAPOLIS -- Michael Flowers insisted it was nothing personal.

The University of Wisconsin senior said he wasn't exacting revenge from Michigan freshman Manny Harris, who torched him for 26 points in January. He said he wasn't sending a message to the Big Ten Conference coaches, who this week failed to vote him the league's defensive player of the year. About the only thing Flowers would admit to is doing his part to win a basketball game.

Sorry, Michael, but no one's buying it.

Not after you held Harris to a season-low four points in UW's 51-34 victory over Michigan in a Big Ten tournament quarterfinal Friday at Conseco Fieldhouse. And definitely not given the marching orders you issued to fellow guards Travon Hughes and Jason Bohannon when you took a rare break from chasing, blocking, pestering and generally demoralizing Harris all day.

"(Flowers) wanted to make a statement," Hughes said. "Every time he came out and I had to guard (Harris) or J-Bo had to guard him, he was like, 'Don't let him score. Do not let him score.' ''

Given the look of determination on Flowers' face, they didn't dare. Harris, Michigan's leading scorer, made a long 3-pointer over Flowers early in the game and wasn't heard from again, missing his other 11 shots. Harris' only other point came at the free throw line after a technical foul on UW coach Bo Ryan.

As focused as Flowers was, he was probably mad at Ryan for giving Harris an open look. Just kidding, but you get the idea. Flowers had a little extra juice Friday.

"He was very focused," Hughes said. "He had to redeem himself. The last time we played (Michigan) we played them at home and I think we gave (Harris) 26 points as a team and (Flowers) didn't like that. A player that's a competitor like him, he just wants to shut down everybody. ... His intensity that he brought today was on a whole new level."

For a player who always brings his intensity, who always shows up focused, who always accepts the toughest defensive challenge, that's saying a lot.

"I think he took it a little personal with how many points (Harris) scored the last time," center Greg Stiemsma said. "They weren't necessarily all on Mike, but he wanted to prove that he can lock anybody down. Today was a great example of that. (Harris) couldn't shake him. He was his shadow the whole day. He didn't get too many open looks. He didn't get to the rim that much."

With Harris handcuffed, Michigan scored 34 points, the lowest total in the 11 years of the Big Ten tournament. That was more than enough satisfaction for Flowers.

"Winning is pretty much my motivation," he said. "I go out there and work hard just like everybody else. I do things, I get on the floor, I take charges for my teammates. Nobody ever wants to get scored on and I pride myself on stopping my opponent and causing him havoc and disrupting the flow of his game. Doing that ultimately benefits my team."

Flowers' team has turned into a defensive monster, though that is due primarily to his teammates stepping up their games. Flowers has been terrific on defense all season. If anyone had forgotten that, he reminded them Friday.