OMAHA, Neb. — As of early Wednesday evening, the dislocated right elbow suffered by Brian Butch in last season's game at Ohio State had been viewed 132,810 times on YouTube.

The University of Wisconsin men's basketball team's senior starting center, though, hasn't been able to stomach watching his fall to the floor — and ensuing gruesome injury that cost him a chance to play in last year's NCAA tournament.

And he most likely never will.

"I have not seen it and I don't plan on seeing it, to be honest. It was pretty ugly just the way it felt. I can only imagine how it looked," Butch said when asked about it during the Badgers' media session on Wednesday at the Qwest Center. "I tried to actually look at it once during the offseason as soon as the season was over, and it got to be right before I got undercut. And I had to turn my head. So I haven't looked at it yet, and I don't think I ever will. It's one of those things as an athlete, you put it behind you and don't look at it. That's what I've tried to do with it."

Though Butch returned to practice before last year's NCAA tournament, he didn't play in either of UW's games and could only watch from the bench as the Badgers lost in the second round to UNLV.

"As a young kid you grow up dreaming of playing in the NCAA tournament," Butch said. "To have an injury take that away from you, it's frustrating."

Butch — UW's leading scorer and rebounder — is cherishing being back in action at the NCAA tournament which, for sixth-ranked and third-seeded UW (29-4), begins with Thursday's first-round game against No. 14 seed Cal State Fullerton (24-8).

"Your last hurrah in the NCAA tournament," Butch said. "You want to go out there and play the best basketball that you can."

Stiemsma ready

The playing time of senior reserve center Greg Stiemsma often has been determined by matchups.

Against smaller teams, the 6-foot-11 Stiemsma's playing time typically has decreased, so it stands to reason that he might not meet his season average of 11.4 minutes tonight against a Fullerton team that starts two 6-5 players in the frontcourt and doesn't have a player taller than 6-6 on the active roster.

"I'm ready," Stiemsma said. "With these smaller matchups, you never know. We've played smaller guys and I've played a little more, too, like (against) Penn State."

Hughes not hurting

Starting point guard Trevon Hughes said he has no lingering issues from a left ankle injury suffered during the second half of last Saturday's Big Ten Conference tournament semifinal against Michigan State.

The sophomore, who missed the last 12-plus minutes of the game against the Spartans, started a day later and played 27 minutes in the Badgers' title-game victory over Illinois.

"Everybody goes through bumps and bruises and aches and pains at this time of the year," UW assistant coach Greg Gard said. "When you play this long and play this many games, nobody's body is perfect, I'm sure. He, like a lot of other guys, has to play through things and press forward."

From way downtown

The Badgers, who traditionally under Ryan have closed their open practices at the NCAA tournament by shooting halfcourt shots, did so again.

And UW didn't have to wait long to get one to go.

Senior guard Tanner Bronson swished the first attempt, sending the Badgers off the court to a large round of applause.