Pulling an Andy Garrett

When I was a freshman at Benet Academy in the mid 90's the boys basketball team had a huge home game against Naper North. Both teams were in the top 20 and having great years. The game was tight the entire way, but with Benet up 1 and with the ball Naper North was forced to foul senior center Andy Garrett. Garrett proceeded to the line for a 1-1 and, of course, missed the first shot. The Huskies came down the court and after a missed shot and a loose ball, one of their players calmly drilled a 3 pointer to give them a 2 point lead with 3 seconds left. Benet missed a last second shot and it was heartbreak city in Lisle, IL.

About a week or two later I was asked what was my #1 pet peeve. I might not have even known what pet peeve meant before then, but I answered rather quickly "Missing the front end of a 1 and 1"

Thanks a lot Kam.



What kills me about yesterday is the fact that we did everything we had to do to win the game:

Contain Oden: check
Not let them get hot from the outside: check
Stay in the game: check
No Huge droughts: check
Not take 3000 outside shots: check
get J-Boh the ball: check
Take the lead late: check
Get the d-stop needed: check
get a free throw shooter to the line: check
make the free throws: uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh


And that is where it all went wrong. Did anyone not think the Buckeyes were going to score on that last posession? Did anyone actually think that after they did and there was only 3.9 seconds left that the Badgers would score? The Badgers would have been better off letting OSU score with 28 seconds left. I think us having the ball down 1 with 20 seconds or so to work would have set us up for a game winning score. Instead, the Badgers gave the home team a chance to make the last play- and they did. #1 or #2 teams make the plays when given the chance and when they are at home.


So where does that leave us besides depressed and with the feeling that we was robbed?

Well, the Badgers still have a shot at a #1 seed. 4 wins and we will be the #1 seed in Nellyville. 3 wins and we might still be able to get it done (the 3 wins would be our next 3, however, and either a close loss to OSU or someone else in the final- if OSU gets bounced early in Chicago and the Badgers make it to Sunday, the Badgers would get the advantage in my opinion. Wisconsin can also hope for 2 of the following "teams" to fail: Florida, UNC, Kansas/Tex A&M. Since only one of the Big 12 teams can win their tourney and really have a shot at a #1 seed, we only have to worry about one of them, but since both have such craptastic RPI ratings neither can afford to lose one more game. In addition, UNC might be in the same boat now that they have 5 losses, none to a team that will be a top 3 seed in two weeks.
Joe Lunardi still has the Badgers as a #1 seed, and while I trust Joe, I can't see it right now. Yet, while the Badgers were a projected #1 seed since early January, they were probably a little underrated in their seeding. Wisconsin right now has to be in the 3-6 range depending on who you talk to.

The bottom line is this: 4 wins and the Badgers will be the #1 or #2 overall seed. Lose in the Big 10 tourney final and there is probably a 50/50 chance that the Badgers are a #1 seed, maybe even in the STL.

Just dont make me utter the phrase Andy Garrett ever again, ok guys?