It's been 36 years since Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers squad went 32-0, the last perfect season in NCAA men's basketball. Since then three teams have posted perfect regular season records and lost in the NCAA Tournament, but none since UNLV did it in 1991.

Well we finally have another contender for a perfect season. The Murray State Racers have started the 2011-12 season with 21 straight wins, and have soared into the top 10 in each of the major national polls. The Racers play in the less-than-intimidating Ohio Valley Conference, but that doesn't detract from the impressive streak of wins. Hardly anyone knows of them, and even fewer people give them a chance to run the table. But even more important than an undefeated regular season record, why couldn't they make some noise during the March Madness tournament?

If Murray State wants to keep continue this hot streak, they will have to follow the play of their leader, junior point guard Isaiah Canaan. Canaan leads the team in points, assists, and minutes per game. He also dropped a heroic 36 points in one of the Racers' defining victories this season, a double-overtime thriller against Southern Mississippi.

That win, which came on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in the title game of the Great Alaska Shootout, was one of two big triumphs for the Racers this season. Southern Miss (17-3) has climbed all the way up to the 11th best RPI in the nation, all but guaranteeing a spot for themselves in March's 68-team tournament. The other significant "W" came in early December, when Murray State upended an athletic Memphis team on the road. At the time Memphis was ranked 21, but they've since slipped all the way out of the polls and are currently unranked. Regardless, ESPN's Joe Lunardi has both Southern Miss and Memphis making the tourney in his most recent edition of Bracketology.

Unfortunately for them, the Racers' other wins haven't been much to talk about. Non-conference victories over teams like Morgan State or Tennessee Temple hardly get the juices flowing, but Murray State also suffers from a lack of strong competition within their conference. The OVC ranks 21st out of 32 Division I conferences in RPI, and that takes into account the Racers' undefeated record. The Murray State players surely would love to go into the record books with an undefeated regular season, but with only two games against decent opposition, they would likely bow out quickly in March.

They caught a break, however, when ESPN's BracketBusters set them up for one more chance to test themselves against a good opponent. For each of the past 10 seasons, ESPN has paired tournament-hopefuls up for a slew of nationally televised games in late February. It takes a bit of maneuvering about teams' schedules to set up a game midseason, but the idea is to separate the contenders from the pretenders for those basketball higher-ups who actually construct the brackets. This year the top game will be between the undefeated Racers and the St. Mary's Gaels (21-2). Both teams are midmajors who have made the most of their relatively weak schedules, and the matchup currently sets up #9 vs. #16 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll.

Although it's a home game for Murray State, it still serves as a great way to test out their true worth against one last good team before the March Madness tournament. After St. Mary's comes to town, it's nothing but Tennessee-Martin's and Austin Peay's before the OVC tournament (which is more of the same) in early March. If Murray State wants to push deep into the NCAA Tournament, then they need to keep their attention off of the glitz and glamour of the undefeated season and focus instead on playing the best basketball they can possibly play.

Time for some weekend hoops today, as the No. 14/16 Wisconsin Badgers (7-2) host the Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels (9-1) at the Kohl Center. The Badgers are coming off a 70-42 win over in-state rival Green Bay Wednesday night, while the Rebels trounced Cal State San Marcos 94-50 in Las Vegas that night.

The two teams met last year in Vegas, where UNLV won a back-and-forth affair 68-65. Both teams also have a common opponent this season in North Carolina, which UNLV beat four days before Wisconsin nearly did the same Nov. 30.

I'll be here all game long alongside fellow Herald Sports editor Elliot Hughes to deliver all the action to you on the live blog below. Thanks for following, and have a great weekend.

In mid-November, thousands of people packed Madison Square Garden to witness history. Two powerhouse college basketball programs were meeting at one of the grandest stages in all of sports. Although a game between Michigan State and Duke usually carries significance, this one meant more than that. It was Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's shot at the record books--his 903 win, the most of all-time. Unfortunately for the Spartans, this was Coach K's night. He surpassed the all time lead set by his former mentor Bob Knight, who happened to be on scene to watch his protégé break his record setting mark.

Knight and Krzyzewski have much in common. As coach of Indiana, Knight amassed three national championships, eleven Big Ten championships, and was named coach of the year four times. Krzyzewski has won four national titles, twelve ACC championships, and coach of the year three times. On paper, they are very similar, but make no mistake: Coach K is the better coach.

As a college coach, you represent your university. Krzyzewski not only characterizes the Cameron Crazies and anything basketball related, but also Duke in general. Here is where he distances himself from Bob Knight. Coach K never tossed a fold-up chair across the hardwood when he disagreed with a ref's call. He never belittled his players in an attempt to inspire them. And he never was arrested for assault. Say all you want about Bob Knight's knowledge of the game of basketball, but he failed as a representative of the Indiana basketball program and the university.

Krzyzewski will be remembered for winning championships, teaching the game of basketball, and leading the country in player graduation rates. Guess what? Bob Knight did all that too. Yet, the first thing people will recall about Bob Knight will be something like, "Isn't that the crazy guy who hurled a chair onto the court?" Krzyzewski, meanwhile, understands the multiple dimensions that define a great coach. He is an intelligent basketball mind, but also a leader and a role model, and because of this, will go down as one of the greatest college basketball coaches ever.

Time for some hoops! I'm Mike Fiammetta, and I'm here with fellow Herald Sports editor Elliot Hughes at the Kohl Center, where the No. 14/16 Wisconsin Badgers (6-2, 0-0 Big Ten) will host the in-state rival Green Bay Phoenix (4-4, 2-0 Horizon League). After two consecutive losses to North Carolina and Marquette, Wisconsin is especially eager for a win tonight.

While the loss to the No. 1 Tar Heels came in Chapel Hill, N.C. and was hardly a surprise, falling to the Golden Eagles here at the Kohl Center was stunning. Marquette's certainly a very talented team this year, but Wisconsin had won 23 consecutive home games and had no reason to expect that streak to be snapped against MU.

Nevertheless, that's the situation the Badgers find themselves in tonight. We'll be here all game long, bringing you all the action on the live blog below. You can also follow along on Twitter @BHeraldSports. Have a great night.

Welcome to the Herald Sports live blog of the No. 7 Wisconsin men's basketball team versus No. 16 Marquette at the Kohl Center in Madison.

Separated by 75 miles, this marks the 117th meeting between the two in-state rivals, a series in which Wisconsin owns a 64-53 record. The Badgers (6-1) are looking to rebound after visiting No. 5 North Carolina Wednesday night and coming away empty-handed in a 60-57 loss. The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, have gotten off to a perfect 6-0 start with its latest victory coming from an 88-56 win over Jacksonville on Monday.

Follow along with Associate Sports Editor Ian McCue and Extra Points Editor Nick Korger as they bring you today's action.

It'll be a while before I stop saying it -- finally, it's time for some hoops again.

Tonight at the Kohl Center, the No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers (1-0) will host the Colgate Raiders (1-0) of the Patriot League in each team's second game of the season. Wisconsin, of course, is fresh off a resounding 85-31 victory over Kennesaw State in the season opener Saturday. The Badgers were led in that game by a pair of sophomore guards, Josh Gasser and Ben Brust, with 14 points a piece. Star senior point guard Jordan Taylor finished with 11 points and a game-high seven assists, along with four rebounds and two steals.

Arguably the highlight of the opener, though, was the Badgers' defense, which limited the Owls to just eight points at halftime.

The Raiders, meanwhile, enter this game after winning their first season-opener in three years, a 78-74 win over Binghamton Saturday.

I'm live here at the Kohl Center with fellow Herald Sports editor Elliot Hughes, and we'll be keeping you updated all game long on the live blog below. Thanks for following, and have a great night.

College basketball is here. From Blue Devils to bracketology, Tar Heels to the tournaments, the next five months will not disappoint--culminating in perhaps the greatest tournament in sports. Here are my top 16 teams arranged by projected seed in the big dance:

One seeds

North Carolina-ACC

The Tar Heels enter the season as the number 1 team in both the AP and ESPN polls and with good reason. They return big men John Henson and Tyler Zeller and most importantly, player of the year candidate Harrison Barnes. Roy Williams has directed national champions before, so look for this veteran, star-studded team to be the favorites heading into March.

Player to watch: PG Kendall Marshall

As a freshman last year, he really heated up at the end of the season finishing with 6.2 assists per game. Don't be surprised to see him in the All-American discussion.

Ohio State-Big Ten

Thad Matta and company earned a 2 seed last year, but will strive for the top behind forward Jared Sullinger, who dominated the Big Ten last year as a freshman.

Player to watch: PG Aaron Craft

This sophomore needs to step up and lead the team for a shot at the national championship. As one of the better defensive players on the Buckeyes, he'll try and fill a hole vacated by David Lighty.

Kentucky-SEC

John Calipari has established a unique system of coaching--recruit the elite players to form one of the most talented teams in the country before they all leave for the NBA. Year after year, he develops a young team but they always seem to fall short of winning it all.

Game to watch: December 3rd vs. UNC

The winner here could establish themselves as the team to beat for the rest of the season.

UConn-Big East

Uconn is the defending national champions, but head into 2012 without star player Kemba Walker who left for the NBA. If a repeat is possible, it'll be because Jeremy Lamb establishes himself as a top five player in college basketball.

Game to watch: UConn vs Syracuse on February 25th

The winner may earn the number 1 seed heading into the Big East tournament in this top tier end-of-the-season matchup.

Two seeds

Duke-ACC

They lose starters Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, and number one pick Kyrie Irving, but don't expect a rebuilding year on Tobacco Road. Brothers Mason and Miles Plumlee will dominate the low post while shooters Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins can light it up from the 3-point arc.

Player to watch: Austin Rivers

The young freshman will have to become an immediate scorer for Duke to reach the Final Four.

Vanderbilt-SEC

The Commodores aren't your usual basketball powerhouse but might have the most reliable backcourt in the nation. Brad Tinsley, John Jenkins, and Jeffery Taylor all averaged double-digit points last year. The trio are all upperclassmen as well--a rarity in today's game.

Player to watch: Forward Festus Ezeli--The Nigerian Center faces a 6 game suspension, but if he plays like last year upon return, (13 ppg, 6 rpg) Vandy will have a strong starting five.

Syracuse-Big East

Expect the Big East to have numerous teams with high seeds before teams such as Syracuse leave for the ACC. The Orange return four starters and will be led by seniors Kris Jospeh and Scoop Jardine.

Player to watch: Fab Melo

As a freshman last year, the 7'0 Melo disappointed. However, if he can reach expectations this season 'Cuse will have a strong chance of winning the Big East.

Kansas-Big 12

Kansas only returns senior guard Tyshawn Taylor, but they should still be the kings of the Big 12. The biggest question for the Jayhawks is who can replace the Morris brothers in the frontcourt.

Game to watch: Kansas vs. Kentucky Nov. 15

Can the upperclassmen from Kansas school Kentucky's young stars?

Three seeds

Louisville-Big East: Peyton Siva will make his case as Big East player of the year.

Florida-SEC: Guards Boynton and Walker will need to score plenty to make up for the loss of SEC player of the year Chandler Parsons.

Baylor-Big 12: The Bears may have the most athletic team other than Kentucky.

Pittsburgh-Big East: Coach Jamie Dixon and the Panthers will look to shake the label that they can't win in the tournament behind the play of senior scorer Ashton Gibbs.

Four seeds

Wisconsin-Big Ten: The Badgers always seem to be in rebuilding mode but end up in the NCAA tournament every year. This season Wisconsin will look to rebuild their frontcourt, but some of that pressure will be lifted having a preseason All-American in PG Jordan Taylor.

Xavier-Atlantic 10: Consistently one of the best mid-majors, this year should be no different as Tu Holloway could put up 20 points per game.

Arizona-Pac 12: They'll struggle without Derrick Williams, but if they can win the subpar Pac-12, they should manage a 4 seed.

Memphis-Conference USA: It's now or never for 3rd year coach Josh Pastner (who replaced Calipari) as he returns three starters. Will we see Memphis in the Big East soon?

Finally, time for some hoops.

After an 80-54 tuneup victory over UW-Stevens Point in an exhibition last Saturday, No. 14 Wisconsin hosts Kennesaw State at the Kohl Center for both teams' regular season opener.

I'm here by myself today, as Elliot and Kelly have embarked for Minnesota to cover the Battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe at 2:30 p.m. today. Keep it here on the live blog, as I'll make sure to keep you updated all game long.

It seems like we go through the same cycle every year with Wisconsin men's basketball.

The team comes into the season underrated nationally, but they continue to finish in the top three or four of the Big Ten. The Badgers rarely lose at home, but struggle against top conference competition away from the Kohl Center. Then come tournament time, the Badgers seem to have a favorable road to an elite eight or final four appearance, but only manage to win a game or two.

Badger fans really can't complain about this yearly trend for men's basketball. They've consistently been a top team in the Big Ten for the past decade.

Head coach Bo Ryan is 242-91 (.727) in his ten seasons at Wisconsin. Every one of those years the Badgers have made the NCAA Tournament and they've never had a lower finish than fourth place in the Big Ten.

The next chapter for Bo Ryan and the Badgers begins this Saturday when their season tips off against Kennesaw State. However, this time rather than being disrespected and underrated entering the season, Wisconsin is ranked No. 14 nationally and is viewed as one of the top teams in the Big Ten.

The main contributor to Wisconsin's unusually high preseason ranking is starting point guard Jordan Taylor. Taylor is just the second player in Badger history to be an AP preseason All-American. It's a huge honor and essentially means Taylor is projected to be the best point guard in the NCAA. Last season Taylor averaged over 18 points a game and was phenomenal in three-point land, shooting .429 percent behind the arc. But the Badgers lost a handful of key seniors including current Milwaukee Buck Jon Leuer, Keaton Nankivil and Tim Jarmusz. The three combined for an average of 32 points per game last season.

This leaves a ton of pressure on Taylor this year. Typically the Badgers don't have star players who carry the load but it seems that may be the case with Taylor. Ever since he blew up with 27 points in the victory against top-ranked Ohio State last year, Taylor has been highly regarded by the national media. Taylor has the talent to back up the hype but he's going to need lots of help offensively for the Badgers to live up to their preseason ranking.

Where the Badgers really need production is their frontcourt. Taylor and the talented sophomore guard Josh Gasser will lead the charge in the backcourt, but losing Leuer and Nankivil last year leaves the frontcourt depleted. Big men Jerrod Berggren and Mike Bruesewitz will step into larger roles this season as starters. Their play in the frontcourt will be crucial to Wisconsin's success this season.

Even with Taylor returning, should expectations be higher than usual for Wisconsin?

Probably not.

For as much success as Bo Ryan has had in his tenure at Wisconsin, he's only taken the Badgers to the Elite Eight once. Ryan has never had an AP Preseason All-American, but Ryan will run still run his slower-paced swing style of offense.

Another sweet sixteen appearance for the Badgers would be regarded as a successful season; it's realistic for the Wisconsin faithful to expect that. It's hard to imagine them cracking the elite eight or final four, but it will take a considerable amount of time until we can gauge this team's potential.

The Badgers have a very favorable schedule this season. They face only four ranked opponents, two of which are nonconference games. The Big Ten appears to be extremely weak this season outside of Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan, so Wisconsin has a great opportunity to finish in the top two or three of the Big Ten.

Wisconsin's performance will come down to the production from its frontcourt and role players off the bench. But ultimately Taylor needs to play up to his potential and the hype that has surrounded him. Taylor is clearly the leader of this team, and the Badgers will go as far as he takes them.

During the last month of basketball, we have witnessed the entire spectrum. In the upsets, buzzer-beaters and countless hours spent in front of the television, we saw the good. In the overload of CBS analysts and early shredding of our cherished brackets, we saw the bad. We are only missing one thing--the ugly. Enter the national championship game. For a tournament that delivered entertainment at seemingly every moment, the national title game faltered badly.

The pregame hype and incentives prepared the nation for a dogfight. Following the Final Four departure of the Wildcats and Rams, it was just the Huskies and the Bulldogs, two teams that shared a hotel in Washington D.C. at the beginning of the tournament. College basketball nation was ready for a spirited finale, headlined by dynamic guards and unsung heroes in the post. What ensued was a defensive battle with loose balls bouncing in every direction and shooting percentages that started low and remained that way throughout the contest.

The matchup began with UConn pulling ahead by five midway in the first half before Butler made a late run to take a three-point lead at the break. With the score at 22-19, we had witnessed the lowest scoring first half in tournament history. The game that was supposed to be a shootout in the 70s was bound for the 50s, or even worse. the 40s.

Kemba Walker and Shelvin Mack, the two guards who were supposed to battle on each end of the court, were doing everything but that. Walker, one of the tournament's most electrifying players, ended the half on the bench in foul trouble while Mack had accumulated seven points on just two field goals.

Meanwhile, the post game was just as ugly, with Butler's Matt Howard going 1-of-6 from the field and Connecticut spreading its five layups across four players. It was clearly a first half to forget, but that is why they play two.

Finally, as the second half began, both teams showed some offense. Walker and freshman Jeremy Lamb gave the national audience the idea of a shootout by alternating buckets following a Butler three-pointer to start the half. At this point, the game seemed that is was bound for an efficient, offensive approach, but became just the opposite as the half continued.

Following Chase Stigall's bucket 20 seconds into the half, the Bulldogs didn't make another for seven minutes. Luckily, their defense and UConn's poor shooting kept them within five at 28-33. Then, Butler redefined the word ugly as the Bulldogs managed to put together eight consecutive one-shot possessions, garnering exactly zero points. Nearly six minutes went by between Butler baskets, and the Huskies were soon up 11.

Butler fans watched the remaining six minutes patiently waiting for their team to make a signature last chance run. UConn was having none of that idea, and made their free throws to claim the national title in a rather unexciting way.

The shooting was putrid, with both teams combining to shoot 26 percent from the field. UConn made only 1-of-11 three-point attempts while Butler shot just 12-of-64 from the field on the night. That translates to 18.8 percent, a title game record.

Of the forty minutes played, only a handful would have raised the heartbeat of an unbiased fan. The aforementioned star-powered guards Walker and Mack, who hogged the spotlight before the game, failed to produce the same electricity during the matchup. Matt Howard, regarded by some analysts as the most valuable player in the nation, made just one shot all game. Andrew Smith, who makes his living in the post, made just one layup all night.

It's safe to say that things did not go as scripted for the 2011 season ending game, but in March Madness, nothing is scripted, and Butler's trip to the championship game is a prime example. Though the title game may have come up short in terms of extraordinary theatrics, thinking of the tournament as a whole will remind us that in terms of madness, we got a healthy dose in March 2011.

With Final Four weekend rapidly approaching, college basketball fans all over the country await what promises to be an exciting showcase of the nation's hottest teams. Butler and VCU will square off in the battle of Cinderella stories, while the other game will feature two of college basketball's powerhouses in Kentucky and Connecticut.

Both of these match-ups should provide great games. But for fans who saw their teams get bounced from the tournament early, there's still something else to look forward to. Next season.

Although Wisconsin's basketball season ended just a few days ago, it's never too early for the Grateful Red to look ahead to next year. This offseason, Bo Ryan and the Badgers will look to fill in the holes left by seniors, welcome the incoming freshmen class, and ultimately build on the success of the 2010-2011 season.

There's no doubt that the loss of Wisconsin's six seniors--especially Jon Leuer, Keaton Nankivil, and Tim Jarmusz--will impact the team. Leuer led the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 18.3 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game. Nankivil added 9.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, while also leading the Badgers in blocked shots and three-point field goal percentage. Jarmusz was less of a scoring option, but provided the intangibles like solid defense and timely rebounding that helped win games.

In preparation for next season, the Badgers will rely on establishing other offensive options and developing younger players to fill in the holes left by these seniors.

Junior point guard Jordan Taylor--already an integral part of Wisconsin's offense--will carry the scoring load and hopefully build on his personal success from last season. Taylor had one of the most impressive individual seasons in the country, scoring 18.1 points per game, posting a nation-best 3.9 assist-to-turnover ratio and earning second-team All-American honors.

For the Badgers to be successful again next season, Taylor will not only need to have a huge individual year, but he'll have to make his teammates better as well. Wisconsin returns several players who, with productive off seasons, can establish themselves as offensive threats and complement Taylor's production.

Freshman guard Josh Gasser is one of these players. Gasser showed flashes of his potential last season, recording Wisconsin's first ever triple-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over Northwestern. Toward the end of the season, Gasser started to gain more confidence in his jump shot and began knocking down three-point baskets more consistently.

Another huge part of Wisconsin's offseason lies in the hands of 6-foot-6 sophomore forwards, Mike Bruesewitz and Ryan Evans.

Bruesewitz does the dirty work for the Badgers; he's a hard worker, solid rebounder, and tough defender. However, he also has the ability to score on offense, and Wisconsin will rely on him to take on more of a scoring role next season. Bruesewitz has the potential to become Wisconsin's second leading scorer behind Taylor.

Evans is long, athletic and has the ability to change a game with his sheer explosiveness. However, he will have to work hard in the offseason to polish his offensive skill set. If Evans improves his jump shot, works on his post moves and becomes more comfortable with the ball on offense, he could play a much bigger role in Wisconsin's lineup.

Lastly, 6-foot-10 sophomore forward Jared Berggren has arguably the biggest offseason of anyone on the team ahead of him. Berggren has already shown his ability to shoot the three, but the Badgers will need him to work on his offensive post moves and mobility on defense to make him more of an all-around threat.

Along with Wisconsin's returning players, the Badgers will welcome four freshmen to campus next season. Of these high school seniors, two of them--Jarrod Uthoff and George Marshall-- show a lot of potential.

Uthoff, an ESPN top 100 recruit, is an athletic 6-foot-8 power forward from Iowa who rebounds well and has the ability to finish in the paint. He'll need to add some muscle to give him a stronger inside presence the Big Ten, but he has tremendous upside and could contribute as early as next season for Wisconsin.

Marshall is a lightning-quick point guard from Chicago who excels at getting into the lane and knocking down the mid-range jump shot. If he continues to improve his game in the offseason, he could be the perfect backup for Taylor next season.

Wisconsin's talented returning group of players, along with these incoming freshmen, will have the Badgers competing at a high level yet again next season.

If you ever find yourself worrying about Wisconsin basketball, remind yourself of these facts to ease your mind. The Badgers have made the NCAA tournament in each of Bo Ryan's 10 seasons, losing in the first round only once. Of those 10 appearances, Wisconsin has reached the Sweet 16 three times and the Elite 8 once. It seems that no matter who Wisconsin loses every year, Bo will always have his Badgers ready to play.

Far above the present, history is definitely the most important concept in the sports world. Drawing comparisons, breaking records, setting any precedent and preparing for the future are all sports topics involving history that surround barbershops and sports bars around the nation. These days, a true astonishment is hard to come by.

But the 2011 NCAA Tournament is just that, a true astonishment. With very few similarities to any other tournament in history, it is only fitting that the Final Four set up last weekend has four teams with seemingly no similarities. It is only under a stronger lens that it becomes clear that these teams completely contrast each other.

Connecticut: UConn might just be the favorite in this wacky field--after all, they are the highest seed remaining. The Huskies have come a long way from not receiving a vote in the preseason AP Poll, and any accolades they take from the season have come at the hand of one man, Kemba Walker. Kemba was arguably the best player in the nation this season, averaging over 23 points per game while helping win every tournament the Huskies enter.

UConn swept through the Maui Invitational in November and against all odds beat the best from the Big East in the conference tournament. Oh, and Kemba was the tournament's most valuable player every time. It's safe to say we won't be surprised if Kemba would add to those trophies, and in dramatic fashion. Just ask Villanova, Texas, and Pittsburgh, the three tournament teams that were all stung by Kemba's last-second heroics this season.

Kentucky: The Wildcats are the second best seed remaining and certainly deserve their trip to Houston, but their roster is unlike any other. Kentucky and Coach John Calipari have benefitted more than any other school or coach with the "one-and-done" recruit that dominates the college basketball scene for a year before entering the NBA draft.

This year is no different for the 'Cats as they are led by three freshmen: Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb. Jones and Lamb have had their moments throughout the regular season, averaging 15 and 12 points respectively, but the story for the Wildcats NCAA tournament run revolves around Knight. From the first few hours of the tournament, Brandon has played a crucial role in each Kentucky victory, leaving each opponent with (K)nightmares of his prowess. Game-winning shots against Princeton and Ohio State have been offset by other impressive performances against West Virginia and North Carolina; UConn is next on his list.

Butler: The Butler Bulldogs are clearly the team with the most NCAA tournament experience. With only one freshmen garnering significant minutes, the 'Dogs rotation simply exudes the idea that they've been here before. Just a year ago Butler was inches away from completely shocking the world in the national title game. So, why is the world shocked again that the Bulldogs are back in the Final Four? Minus the departures of Gordon Heyward and Willie Veasely, the same guys and same coach are back at it again. That coach is Brad Stevens, and while he looks young enough to still be paying tuition as a student, he is coaching in his second Final Four, just another trait of Butler's bourgeoning experience.

Virginia Commonwealth: The postseason for VCU is unmatched through the history of college basketball. Following a loss in the Colonial Athletic Association championship game, the Rams were scraping for a tournament bid. When they secured one on Selection Sunday, over the likes of Colorado and Alabama, just about every analyst thought they weren't as deserving. Heavy on hindsight, I think they definitely deserved a chance.

Even with that chance, the Rams have been the underdog in each game, and have arguably performed better than any other team in the dance. Keep in mind, VCU has played an additional game since the tournament began, handling every team in their path. Apart from beating Florida State by one, each victory has been by double digits. The only difficulty for the Rams is that four of their top five players are seniors, so they must keep making the most of that Selection Sunday blessing.

So, Kentucky gains the most from one-and-dones, and Butler is no longer a surprise. Connecticut's coach is older than both Butler's and VCU's combined. VCU has no conscience while Butler looks to win with efficiency. For the lacking similarities in the profiles of each Final Four squad, one similarity they do have trumps all the missing ones. Each of these teams, unlikely as they may be, have the chance to rewrite the ever-important concept called history.

The Big East is the best conference in basketball, right? Pittsburgh is a great bet to reach the Final Four, right? The Pac-10 was not supposed to show up and contend, right? All these things were believed to be true, but all it took was one weekend of madness to prove the contrary. Millions of college basketball fans filled out tournament brackets with confidence that they had college basketball 2011 all figured out. Boy, were we wrong, and the first weekend of the tournament proved it again, teaching many lessons through yet another magical ending. Here's just a few:

The Big East was not everything we thought it was...again. The super conference that seems to dominate the polls and media spotlight during the regular season has struggled thus far in the tournament. With 11 teams in the dance (an NCAA record), the Big East had realistic hopes for a Notre Dame, Pittsburgh Final Four matchup, with maybe Connecticut and Syracuse also in the mix. Unfortunately, only one of those teams will be playing in the second weekend of the tournament.

Nine of the 11 teams were eliminated during the first weekend, raising the question, is the Big East really the best? This is nothing new from the conference consistently dubbed the nation's best. Just last year, only two of the Big East's eight dancers made it to the Sweet 16. Maybe if Charles Barkley had a better track record as an analyst we all would have believed him when he called the Big East overrated. Sorry Chuck.

Brackets are meant to be busted. This becomes the ultimate truth as the tournament proceeds from weekend to weekend and fans quickly reach for their scissors or paper shredders. Louisville, coming off a runner-up finish in the Big East Tournament, was a trendy pick for the Final Four, but a little second round drama with the Morehead State Eagles kept the Cardinals from advancing farther than the opening weekend.

If the Louisville upset didn't set back a particular bracket, look no further than the Pittsburgh-Butler third round game. Pitt, especially point guard Ashton Gibbs, was very confident that they would be making arrangements for Houston and the Final Four, but those ideas came crashing down when Butler hung around and stung the Panthers in the final seconds.

Somehow, if any bracket was still looking decent after those two upsets, Notre Dame and Florida State sure had something to say. Like Louisville, Notre Dame was another trendy squad, and garnered many championship predictions. The best defensive team in the nation, Florida State, stood in their way, however, and sent them home early. Any bracket that survived these three shockers was likely put together with the help of either a blindfold or a dart and balloons.

Pressure is amplified. Like Chris Webber pointed out to the college basketball nation in the 1993 NCAA title game, any pressure witnessed during the regular season simply doesn't compare when the stakes are win or go home. Pitt had a similar moment, obviously not with the championship on the line, when Nasir Robinson fouled Butler's Matt Howard with the game tied at 70 and less than a second to go. It's true, that was a high-pressure situation and a player on one of the best teams in the nation choked. Syracuse also may have let pressure get to a pair of their guards when Dion Waters, the game's high scorer, and veteran Scoop Jardine combined for a turnover on an inbounds pass with less than a minute to go.

Pressure has also increased with the parity of college basketball. Years ago, 1-seeds undertook the great pressure to advance to the Final Four. Nowadays, they're stressing to simply reach the Sweet 16. The aforementioned Butler Bulldogs are the second team in as many years to advance from the 8-9 game and upset a 1-seed. Michigan and Illinois almost followed suit on Sunday, as they both hung around with Duke and Kansas.

It is beginning to seem that the best tactic as a viewer is to expect the unexpected as the tournament begins its second four-day stretch of games. Charles Barkley is sure to make some outlandish statement(s), even more paper brackets will finally rest in peace, and when the games end on Sunday night, we'll be begging for more.

Day Two of the 2011 Big Ten Tournament has seen the No.1 team in the nation nearly lose, a resounding comeback and an inspired performance from a team previously thought to be done.

All that, and the third-seeded Wisconsin Badgers haven't even played yet.

Ohio State escaped Northwestern in overtime in Friday's opener, Michigan overcame a double-digit deficit against Illinois and Michigan State took the day's third game with a resounding victory over Purdue.

The Badgers (23-7, 13-5) will face the sixth-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions (17-13, 9-9) following the conclusion of the Purdue-Michigan State affair. The Nittany Lions defeated the 11th-seeded Indiana Hoosiers here last night, 61-66. Wisconsin and Penn State split the season series, with PSU taking the first in Happy Valley, 56-52, and UW taking the second in Madison, 76-66.

Herald Sports editors Mike Fiammetta and Elliot Hughes are live from Indianapolis, and they'll keep you updated all game long (and for the duration of the Badgers' tournament run). Be sure to follow the live blog below, as well as on Twitter @bheraldsports, @mikefiammetta and @elliothughes12.

March Madness can mean only one thing, the astonishing upsets, season-ending buzzer beaters and scissors slicing nylon during the jubilation of the NCAA Tournament. That's March Madness right?

Well, the 68-team, win or go home contest is actually only part of what qualifies as madness with college basketball teams. The additional and highly overlooked mayhem starts in the beginning of March, and last time I checked, we are already one week deep in this lovely month. It is conference tourney time, where each conference battles it out in bracket format to claim a postseason champion, and the first teams are guaranteed a ticket to the Big Dance.

The regular season closed this past Sunday for the major conferences. However, conference championship time actually began as early as last week, and continues all the way until Selection Sunday. With each conference tournament champion earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, it's not only the last chance for teams to snag an automatic bid but also for bubble teams to make their last case for an at-large seeding. Some lucky teams, namely Ohio State and Kansas, have accomplished just about everything they needed to earn a 1-seed during the regular season. Many others, however, have something to prove during the final weekend, and here is a rundown of the teams with the most to prove.

Tennessee: The Volunteers started the year strong winning their first seven games, but are one of the nation's streakiest teams, and eventually faded into mediocrity. Having coach Bruce Pearl back on the sideline has not made much of a difference either, as Tennessee has not had a winning streak since the beginning of February. Two wins over Vanderbilt as well as non-conference victories over Villanova and Pittsburgh have certainly placed the Vols in the conversation, but a first round loss to Arkansas might end that idea.

Michigan State: Entering the season as a top-5 squad, it would have seemed ridiculous to envision Michigan State having to play every game like it was their last. Unfortunately, for this Spartans team, that is exactly how the 2011 campaign has turned out. Lacking a significant non-conference victory and having only one win against the Big Ten elite, the Spartans have been riding the strength of schedule train for far too long and need at least one victory in the conference tournament to solidify any postseason plans.

ACC fourth-sixth spots: Besides Duke, North Carolina and Florida State, no team in the ACC has assured themselves a spot thus far, though the next three in line would all be worthy with a good showing this weekend. Clemson, Boston College and Virginia Tech are all vying for a bid, but all likely won't get one, so their ACC Tournament performance will likely decide whether they're playing in the NCAA or the NIT Tournament.

Borderline 1-Seeds: Apart from Ohio State and Kansas being in a league of their own at the moment, there are still two top seeds to be earned. Its easy to see that Duke, Pittsburgh and even BYU deserve a look for a 1-seed, but North Carolina and Notre Dame might be the two teams most fit to surprise and rightfully earn one of those bids.

Even though the Fighting Irish trailed Pittsburgh for the regular season Big East title, they won their only meeting with the Panthers and have won 11 of their last 12. If the Irish happen to win the Big East Tournament, they might lock up one of those two remaining top spots. The same goes for the Tar Heels. After starting the season slow, point guard Kendall Marshall has helped turn the tide for the young squad who have won 12 of their last 13. If the Heels can convincingly sweep through the ACC bracket, with another victory over rival Duke, they might have the resume needed to snatch the last 1-seed.

Who knows though? UNC might just get knocked out in the first round, and Michigan State might just win the Big Ten Tournament. One thing is certain as these conference tournaments keep us glued to the television set this weekend, and that is that March Madness doesn't start once the brackets are finalized. March Madness has already begun.

Looking to end the regular season on a high note, Wisconsin (23-7, 13-5 Big Ten), looked to improve their Big Ten ranking this week with two key road matchups versus Indiana and Ohio State.

In one of the most dominant performances in UW history, Jordan Taylor put on a show for the ages by dropping 39 points in Bloomington. In leading the Badgers to a 77-67 victory over Indiana (12-19, 3-15), the star guard went 7-of-8 from long distance in one of the most memorable road performances in recent Big Ten history.

Wisconsin--aware of its highly anticipated matchup in Columbus Saturday--didn't want this to become an unfortunate trap game, as their matchup with Iowa several weeks almost was.

By dropping 39 points in a mere 53 possessions, Taylor showed to the nation that he should have been among the finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation's top point guard at the end of the season. Not only should Taylor have been considered a viable candidate, but he might have had a legitimate opportunity at bringing the award back to Madison.

UW was able to withstand a few runs by Indiana and hand the Hoosiers their eighth consecutive defeat against the Badgers, and went into Ohio on a high note, looking to win their fifth consecutive game to close out conference play.

On Feb. 12, Ohio State (29-2, 16-2), came into Madison undefeated and were well on their way to an undefeated season. After building an impressive 15-point second half cushion, the Buckeyes suddenly collapsed, and UW--led by 12 points from Jon Leuer, a brilliant display of shooting from Taylor, and some clutch baskets from Mike Bruesewitz--was able to claw back and hold on to a stunning four-point victory.

The Wisconsin/Ohio State rivalry is slowly but quickly becoming a fierce one. As the Badgers strolled into Columbus looking to continue their recent dominance over OSU in both on the field and the hardwood, a lot of pride was on the line for the Buckeyes. However, after defeating Ohio State in football last fall, OSU was able to handedly defeat the Badgers this time around.

Star freshman Jared Sullinger even explained prior to the game that he would love to beat Wisconsin by 50 points. Heading into the matchup with that mentality seemed to help Ohio State, as they built an impressive 15-point halftime lead on their way to a dominating 93-65 statement victory.

In the game, Ohio State put on one of the greatest displays of shooting in Division I college basketball history. Led by three-point specialist Jon Diebler, who shot 7-of-8 from three-point range, Ohio State literally shot the lights out on the way to an absurd 14-of-15 performance from behind the arc. If the Badgers want to make a run in the conference tourney as well as in the NCAA Tournament, they cannot afford the defensive lapses that were on display all 40 minutes on Saturday.

Taylor, who was able to continuously score on OSU freshman guard Aaron Craft during the first matchup, was completely shut down this time around. If the Badgers want to make a strong run late in the season, Taylor needs to be on the top of his game night in and night out. In giving up 93 points, the usually reliable Wisconsin defense is in definite need of some tuning up.

After the embarrassing defeat at the hands of Ohio State, the Badgers dropped to No. 13 in the AP poll this week. According to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, UW looks to be on their way to holding a No. 4 seed in the March Madness Tournament.

Wisconsin kicks things off in the Big Ten Tournament on Friday versus either Penn State or Indiana in the quarterfinals.

The Wisconsin men's basketball team capped off a perfect week in Big Ten play by defeating Northwestern 78-63 at the Kohl Center on Sunday night. Wisconsin's six seniors--Jon Leuer, Keaton Nankivil, Tim Jarmusz, Wquinton Smith, Brett Valentyn and J.P. Gavinski--left Madison in a big way, knocking off the Wildcats to finish a perfect 16-0 at home this season.

Leuer led the way for the Badgers, pouring in a game-high 26 points and grabbing six rebounds. Junior point guard Jordan Taylor scored 16 points and dropped seven assists, while Nankivil added 15 points for the Badgers. Wisconsin set the tempo early with hot shooting, which helped them jump out to a quick 9-0 lead just four minutes into the game. The Badgers continued to knock down shots throughout the first half and carried a 43-30 lead into halftime.

The second half saw a similar story, as the Badgers continued to have their way on offense. With a little over sixteen minutes to play, Leuer snatched a cross-court pass from Taylor and converted a two-hand reverse dunk that energized the crowd and extended the Wisconsin lead to 51-35.

Just as the game appeared to be over, Northwestern caught fire and used a wave of hot shooting to cut the Wisconsin lead to 58-55 with 7:14 left to play. Michael Thompson carried the offensive load for the Wildcats, scoring 19 points and shooting a near-perfect 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. John Shurna, the Big Ten's most accurate three point shooter, converted 4-of-7 three pointers and added 14 points for Northwestern as well.

However, the Wildcats' late surge wasn't enough to overcome Wisconsin's lead. Jordan Taylor drilled a couple of huge three-pointers--one with 5:35 remaining and the other with three minutes left--to nullify Northwestern's hot shooting and distance the Badgers from their opponent. Wisconsin held off Northwestern down the stretch to ensure an undefeated record at the Kohl Center and provide a perfect send-off to its six seniors.

Wisconsin's victory over Northwestern was solid, but nowhere near as dramatic as the Badgers' win over Michigan a few days earlier. Last Wednesday freshman guard Josh Gasser banked in a game-winning three point shot as time expired in Ann Arbor to give Wisconsin a 53-52 victory over Michigan.

The Wolverines held a 52-50 lead over Wisconsin with 30.8 seconds remaining when Michigan sophomore Darius Morris missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity. Morris perhaps had a chance to seal the win for Michigan by sinking both free throws and making it a two-possession game. The Badgers, however, received the ball and with it came a chance to win. Michigan had several fouls to give, so in an attempt to disrupt the flow of Wisconsin's last possession, they committed four quick fouls and left Wisconsin with only 5.4 seconds to run its final play.

The last play was designed for Taylor, but two Michigan defenders swarmed him immediately after he caught the ball. Taylor, displaying his calm demeanor and natural instincts, found the open man and whipped a pass to Gasser at the top of the key. Gasser, without time to set his feet or line up his jumper, buried one of the biggest shots of the year for Wisconsin.

Despite the thrilling finish, Wisconsin had to overcome a weak offensive performance to beat the Wolverines. The Badgers shot a measly 36.2 percent from the field and failed to get into a rhythm offensively. Wisconsin shot an inefficient 8-for-29 from beyond the arc, while only getting to the free-throw line three times. Nonetheless, Jordan Taylor still led all scorers with 20 points, and Leuer notched another double-double, adding 12 points and 12 rebounds.

After solid wins over Michigan and Northwestern, Wisconsin gained plenty of momentum heading into the final and most important stretch of its season. With road games at Indiana and Ohio State awaiting UW this week, the Badgers will look to keep their winning streak alive and gain some momentum heading into the Big Ten Tournament.

It's Senior Day for the No. 12 Wisconsin men's basketball team (21-6, 11-4), who will host the Northwestern Wildcats (16-11, 6-10) Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center.

Seniors Jon Leuer, Keaton Nankivil, Tim Jarmusz, Wquinton Smith, Brett Valentyn and J.P. Gavinski will be honored after the game today, but Herald Sports editors Mike Fiammetta and Elliot Hughes will have you covered all game long. Be sure to follow the live blog below for updates all game long.

The Big East is the country's best, the Big Ten is living up to its preseason hype, the Big 12 is overachieving and the ACC may have the nation's best team. Is there anything missing here? Yeah, the SEC and the Pac-10.

While the first four conferences have solidified themselves as legitimate college basketball contributors, the last two have created questions concerning what exactly they will provide for the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Let's start with the Southeastern Conference. This is the conference that simply dominates the college football landscape, laying claim to a national champion in each of the past five seasons. Despite the major success on the gridiron, the SEC has failed to translate that success in recent years onto the hardwood. Apart from Florida's two-year stint atop the college basketball peak, the last national champion from the SEC was Kentucky back in 1998. Since Florida's 2006-2007 dominance, there has yet to be an SEC team that made the Final Four. The 2011 Final Four is shaping up to lack any SEC teams once again.

Florida, ranked No. 13 in both polls, is leading the way in the SEC with only two other ranked teams, Vanderbilt (18) and Kentucky (22). All three teams have risen and fallen in the rankings throughout January and early February, but none of them have established themselves as national contenders.

Kentucky had early hopes of being in the mix, but their lacking experience has finally caught up to them during conference play. Despite only two conference losses and beginning the season with top 10 aspirations, Florida slipped up in bad losses to Central Florida and Jacksonville. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, was not ranked in the preseason, but with a respectable non-conference showing has found its way into the national spotlight.

Its obvious that these teams, and a few more from the SEC, will make the dance, but will they have an impact and can they beat the top teams in America? Only Kentucky can boast a victory over a team currently in the top 10, beating Notre Dame at home. If history follows, the SEC will be left waiting for a top tier yet again.

Now onto the Pac-10, where we actually have a top 10 team. That team is Arizona, and without their surprising ascent in the rankings, the conference would lay claim to exactly zero ranked teams. Just a few years back, winning the Pac-10 was just as good as any other conference championship in America. Even though Arizona is ranked tenth, they have only beaten one ranked team, Washington, who has since fallen from the rankings.

That Washington team entered the season as the conference favorite and has underperformed immensely, with its only victory over a ranked opponent coming against the aforementioned Wildcats. There appears to be a circular theme with the Pac-10's top teams beating each other, and seemingly no one else. While Washington is still bound for a tournament birth, any triumphs that follow Selection Sunday will be a surprise.

Then there is UCLA, stuck in between Arizona and Washington, trying to get back to its Final Four form. While UCLA has beaten No. 7 BYU and the Jimmer Fredette show, they have yet to beat either Washington or Arizona, and got tripped up by both VCU and Montana.

Barring a late conference tournament run, these three hopefuls are about all the Pac-10 will bring to the bracket of 68. Similarly, with possibly a few extra bids that include Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, the SEC won't be sponsoring much more. If they are not careful, two of the so-called "power" conferences may be passed up by some less powerful leagues. One positive thing remains, however, in the fact that any average season can be turned around during the madness that is sure to ensue this March.

After three days off, the No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers (19-6, 9-4) return to action as they host the Penn State Nittany Lions (14-11, 7-7) Sunday evening at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin is coming off a tough 70-62 loss Wednesday at Purdue, while Penn State enters Sunday on a two-game winning streak after knocking off Minnesota 66-63 Thursday night.

Herald Sports editors Mike Fiammetta and Elliot Hughes are live from the Kohl Center, so be sure to follow the live blog below for updates throughout the game.

With just over three weeks of games left on the schedule, now is the time for some college basketball teams across the nation to put up or shut up. There is still plenty of time for teams to make a late run, but that is a luxury known only to schools within the major conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Big East, PAC 10, SEC). Those teams that can snag a late ticket to the dance will be fortunate, but how unfortunate they seem when they are on the losing end of an early round upset at the hand of a mid-major. These mid-majors are the BracketBusters, and while originating outside of the six main conferences, at least one of them will surely bust many brackets this March.

With naming rights to ESPN and sponsorship by Sears, the coming weekend will be dedicated to the schools that garner little if any national attention during the rest of the regular season. The BracketBuster weekend pits unheralded programs up against others of the same variety in order to see which teams might be best to make a surprise in the tournament. Premiering in 2003, BracketBuster weekend has expanded to now include 14 conferences and 114 teams, many of which college basketball fans aren't familiar with. Give them time, however, because at least one of these teams will catch the attention of the college basketball nation this March.

History has proved this claim time and time again: David's slingshot always connects with Goliath's forehead in the form of a 14-seed toppling a 3-seed in the first round. In the past eight seasons, 2009 stands alone as the year when zero BracketBusters advanced to the Sweet 16. How can any one forget BracketBusting Butler of 2010 and their run that wound up just inches short of a national title? Or how about Stephen Curry and all the brackets his Davidson team busted in 2008 as they moved on to the Elite Eight? Surely, everyone can recall the 11-seed George Mason team that made their historic trip to the 2006 Final Four. Truth is, some of these teams deserve all the attention they will receive this weekend.

ESPN will do their part for BracketBuster awareness by showcasing 11 games on their various channels starting with Virginia Commonwealth playing Wichita State on Friday night. A win for the Wichita would certainly help their tournament resumé considering they currently sit on the bubble at second place in the Missouri Valley.

Two matchups showcasing four conference leaders headline Saturday's slate of games as Utah State travels to Saint Mary's (CA), and Missouri State heads to Valparaiso. Utah State and Saint Mary's are both ranked in the Coaches Poll, No. 23 and No. 24 respectively, so they rightfully have earned the national attention they will receive in primetime Saturday night. Both squads are looking at favorable seeds heading into the conference tournament season, but a victory Saturday might be enough to move them into the top half of the NCAA Tournament bracket.

Saturday afternoon, Missouri State will travel to Valparaiso in their last test before the season finale game with Wichita State that will likely decide the champion of the Missouri Valley Conference. Valparaiso is quietly leading the Horizon League, and is looking for some more credibility after some ugly non-conference defeats. This matchup is certainly one of the marquee games of the weekend and ESPN is taking notice by sending color commentator Dick Vitale to this underrated matchup.

Ending the BracketBusting festivities is the only Sunday contest, a matchup between Cleveland State and Old Dominion. Cleveland State is currently in a battle for the Horizon crown while Old Dominion attempts to earn a spot as an at-large bid.

On Selection Sunday, the at-large bid will escape the grasp of many of the BracketBusters playing this weekend. BracketBuster weekend brings the opportunity for the mid-major elite to separate from the large pack of 114 smaller conference teams. Without a conference tournament championship, mid-majors will need that at-large ticket to make a name for themselves in the big dance. With an early look at this weekend's schedule of undervalued teams and some history, college basketball is sure to find out something about March right now, in February.

On the night of October 16, the Wisconsin Badgers football team upset top-ranked Ohio State in one of the most memorable upsets of the football season. As the fans stormed Camp Randall Stadium, it seemed as if nothing would ever top that moment.

Four months later, a similar possible scenario began to take shape. Wisconsin (19-5, 9-3 Big Ten) prepared to take the floor versus top-ranked Ohio State a few days after expecting to comfortably defeat Iowa.

Unfortunately, the matchup in Iowa City proved be a trap game, as the minds of every Badger from Jordan Taylor to Jon Leuer seemed to be on the game against the Buckeyes Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, a couple of late baskets sent the game into overtime, and Wisconsin was able to barely survive by a final score of 62-59.

Projected top draft pick Jared Sullinger and his Buckeye teammates stormed into Madison with an impressive 24-0 record, as they looked to silence the many critics who proclaimed the Badgers as the favorite. Not only were analysts predicting Wisconsin to pull off the upset, but odds makers had given UW an impressive one point spread to win the one of the most anticipated games Big Ten games so far.

After a memorable montage of the football win last fall, the Grateful Red student section expected nothing short of an upset victory.

As Dick Vitale entertained the students, and the schools took the floor, the atmosphere inside the Kohl Center was heating up. Seventeen thousand fans inside were hoping for their beloved Badgers to grab the opportunity to make another statement on the national level.

Both schools played back and forth basketball throughout the entire first half, as UW held the lead for a majority of the period. A David Lighty layup right before the horn gave OSU the lead at 28-26, and the Badgers looked to regain their composure in the second half of play.

Fortunate to be still be in the game, the Badgers came right out the gates and tied the game up on a Keaton Nankivil jumper to begin the final half. After that, things quickly began to unravel.

In less than a seven-minute span, the Buckeyes suddenly had a 15-point lead and all hope was lost for UW. The top-ranked team in the nation, playing nearly flawless basketball, was surely going to hold on and continue their bid for an undefeated season.

Ohio State's leading scorer, William Buford--who finished with 21--and Sullinger had single-handedly taken over the game. There seemed to be a lid on the Wisconsin's basket; they wouldn't have hit water had they fallen out of a boat.

Wisconsin slowly began to crawl back into the game. With a mere 13 minutes to play, star guard Jordan Taylor began to take things into his own hands--literally. In the blink of an eye the Badgers had erased the 15-point deficit, and in just nine minutes had amazingly grabbed a seven-point cushion.

In what was arguably one of the most impressive performances of the college basketball season, Taylor poured in 21 of his 27 points after halftime while shooting an astonishing 5-of-8 from long distance.

A 15-point lead in the Big Ten is all but insurmountable, but somehow, some way, the Badgers were able to make history. As the final seconds ticked down, and UW was able to hold on to the 71-67 victory, the site inside of the Kohl Center seemed eerily reminiscent of that memorable night in October. The fans rushed the court and once again celebrated taking down No. 1 OSU.

The last time a school defeated two No. 1 ranked team in football and basketball was in 2006-2007 when Florida also accomplished the feat. The last time a UW basketball team was able to defeat the top ranked team in America was 1962--ironically, also Ohio State. Forty-nine years later, the Buckeyes were toppled again.

Round Two is finally here.

The Wisconsin football team, in the midst of a magical season that would end in a Rose Bowl berth and near-victory, hosted then-undefeated, then-No. 1 Ohio State Oct. 16 in front of a historic atmosphere at Camp Randall Stadium and ended the night with a stunning 31-18 upset.

This afternoon at the Kohl Center, the men's basketball team will strive to duplicate both the atmosphere and the result against the Buckeyes, No. 1 in the nation with a perfect 24-0 (11-0 Big Ten) record.

You can check out our preview of the game here.

Also, Herald Sports editors Mike Fiammetta and Elliot Hughes are live from the Kohl Center, and we'll be here all game long to keep you updated as the Badgers try to repeat history and knock off the undefeated Buckeyes. All you need to do is check out the live blog below.

They're undefeated and on a roll. Guard David Lighty is currently the player with the most victories in college basketball. They are ranked first in every poll, and will lay claim to possibly the Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and even Player of the Year honorees. They are the Ohio State Buckeyes basketball team, and while they currently have many great accolades, they have yet to prove that they are the best team in the nation.

Thus far, the Buckeyes have garnered 24 victories, and stand alone among college basketball's 346 schools with zero losses. Only one other team in the past five seasons was undefeated this late in the year, that being the 2007-2008 Memphis Tigers. This stat alone is reason enough for a successful season, but are the Buckeyes the nation's best?

The main reason that the Buckeyes are not the clear-cut No. 1 team in the nation is that they have yet to prove it with multiple statement victories. I stress the word multiple because the only major triumph for OSU this season was a home victory over a Purdue team that struggles on the road.

Statement opportunities have been few and far between for the Buckeyes, who played what Dick Vitale would call a "cupcake" non-conference schedule, with few legitimate tests. While OSU is beating up on teams like Tennessee-Martin and Florida Gulf Coast, a team like Texas is playing both on the road and at home against bigger conference teams like Connecticut, North Carolina and Pittsburgh. Even though Texas dropped a few of those games, those teams are all bound for the NCAA Tournament come March. Only one, maybe two, of OSU's non-conference opponents will receive an at-large bid come Selection Sunday.

Those tough non-conference slates will prove vital for the Longhorns as they venture into the big dance. Texas' out of conference schedule prepared them for an overachieving Big 12 Conference with four teams in the AP Top 25. Texas is undefeated within the Big 12, rolling through each victory by double digits.

On the other hand, Ohio State has won only four of its 11 conference games by double digits. OSU should be able to win by ten or more in most conference games, considering only two other Big Ten schools are ranked in the top 25.

It may seem unfair to downgrade Ohio State based on their underachieving conference, but it is fair to upgrade a team like Pittsburgh for playing in the Big East. The Big East is quite possibly the best conference in basketball for yet another season, with seven teams ranked in the top 16. Week in and week out Jamie Dixon's Panthers need to be on top of their game or they will quickly find themselves out of the conference race. Finishing the Big East season with a single loss, like the Panthers are trying, is as daunting of a task as there is in college basketball. While their non-conference schedule difficulty parallels that of OSU, the constant tests provided within their conference proves Pittsburgh deserves a spot among the nation's elite.

If the Buckeyes can get through the next few tests, they too will prove worthy of that No. 1 spot. It will not be an easy journey for those Buckeyes, however. Two of their next three matchups include stops at Madison and West Lafeyette, where few come and go with anything other than a defeat. The Buckeyes squeaked by the bottom half of the Big Ten and having already trounced the Boilermakers at home, their matchup at Wisconsin this Saturday looms as their biggest remaining test.

OSU is undefeated on the season, but so is Wisconsin when playing at the Kohl Center; something has to give. History resides in the fact that the Buckeyes are winless in their last eight trips to Madison. Couple that with the Badgers playing their best basketball of the season and we have an upset on our hands.

At the moment, there seems to be no one in the conference that can guard either Jordan Taylor or Jon Leuer, and Bo Ryan has the Badgers surrendering just 59 points per game in conference. The Badgers will have another advantage if the game is decided by free throws, as they average 82 percent from the stripe while the Buckeyes shoot just 68 percent.

One thing OSU has going in its favor is the six day break in between games. If that isn't enough time to prepare for Wisconsin's methodical and unbelievably efficient swing offense, well then once again the Buckeyes are not the best squad in college hoops. It may take more than an undefeated team and a long rest to defeat the Badgers at home, but no one can be sure. What is for sure, however, is that the Kohl Center will be rocking this Saturday, with fans anxious to see the basketball team follow in the path of the football team and knock off an unbeaten, No. 1 Ohio State squad.

In the Big Ten Conference, every game is of the utmost importance. When the Wisconsin Badgers (17-5, 7-3 Big Ten) welcome an opponent into the Kohl Center, anything short of a victory is viewed as a complete disappointment.

With the AP No. 11 Purdue (18-5, 7-3) making an appearance in Madison this past Tuesday, many experts predicted the Badgers to pull off the upset.

The Bo Ryan-led men in Cardinal and White have been one of the more dominant teams nationally while playing at home over the past few years. It would be farfetched to classify a victory over any conference opponent in Madison as an upset. With a blizzard brewing outside, UW was able to win the physical matchup, and prevail in one of the most anticipated Big Ten contests up to date.

Led by JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, the Boilermakers looked to continue their surprising run through conference play. Having played the entire season without star forward Robbie Hummel, Purdue has been intent on silencing their critics throughout the year. Until their matchup with the Badgers, they had been fairly successful in doing so.

On this night though, Wisconsin--led once again by Jon Leuer, who scored 24 and added a career-high 13 rebounds--were able to reaffirm themselves as one of the more balanced teams in the nation.

Even the relatively quiet Ryan Evans was a key contributor, as he poured in 10 points off the bench. If the Badgers can actually get quality production from their reserves in the coming weeks, many experts will view them as a legitimate threat come March.

After overcoming a hot start to the second half by the Boilermakers, UW was able to buckle down and hold on for the 66-59 victory.

Prior to the Green Bay Packers defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, the Wisconsin faithful had their eyes tuned to UW taking on a reeling Michigan State (13-10, 5-6) team in what was surely expected to be another classic Big Ten battle.

This match up proved to be far from that, as the Badgers dominated in all phases of the game. After shooting the lights out in the first half and storming to a 43-25 halftime lead, UW, led by Jordan Taylor and his career-high 30 points, slowed down a little bit in the second half.

Any team that can shoot 59 percent from the field for the entire 40 minutes of play, while going 11-of-17 from the 3-point arc, will be able to compete with any team in the country. The Badgers also converted on an astonishing 25-of-26 free throws from the charity stripe in their 82-56 trouncing of the men from East Lansing. After their heartbreaking defeat to the Spartans last month, the Badgers sent Michigan State well on their way to an NIT Tournament berth.

While defeating both Purdue and Michigan State surely would be a confidence boost for UW, the pollsters have finally started to give the Badgers a bit of respect. As the new AP rankings were released earlier today, Wisconsin moved up six spots and currently sit at No. 13.

On Wednesday the Badgers travel to Iowa to face the slumping Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. This matchup could potentially be a trap game, as the minds of everyone in Madison are definitely looking forward to the game against Ohio State (24-0, 11-0) Saturday at the Kohl Center. Regardless of their sub-.500 record, every road game in the Big Ten is a challenge, and if UW can play as well as they are capable of playing, this game should go up as another 'W' for the Badgers.

If Wisconsin can make it to Saturday unscathed, the match up with No. 1 Ohio State has the potential to be one for the ages.

Led by freshman sensation Jared Sullinger, the Buckeyes currently sit as the lone undefeated team in Division I basketball. If Wisconsin can buckle down, play hard-nosed basketball by winding down the shot clock, consistently getting to the charity stripe and hitting open shots, an upset could be in the making.

Only a handful of games remain during the regular season. If the Badgers can continue to work their way up the Big Ten rankings, a No. 3 or perhaps even a No. 2 seed come NCAA Tournament time are certainly within reach.

From Trevon Hughes to Jordan Taylor, the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team has had its share of explosive scoring guards in recent years. Freshman guard Ben Brust will look to add his name to that impressive list before his time in Madison comes to an end.

Brust played his high school ball at Mundelein High School in Mundelein, IL, where he scored 27.5 points per game in his senior season. He deservedly received plenty of attention by basketball programs throughout the nation before committing to Bo Ryan's Badgers.

However, as is the case with all freshmen, Brust must now attempt to make the challenging transition from high school basketball, where he was a star, to college basketball, where he is a player looking to prove that he has the work ethic necessary to become a solid player.

According to Brust, the biggest obstacle in terms of adjusting to the college game has been the rapid tempo of the game relative to high school basketball.

"Everything is just a step faster," Brust said. "Your decision-making has to be a little quicker in order to keep up."

However, despite the challenges that lie ahead of Brust, associate head coach Greg Gard believes Brust has the skills, attitude, and drive needed to become a key player for the Badgers.

"His work ethic is very good and I think that's where his positive personality helps him so much," Gard said. "He doesn't seem to have a lot of peaks and valleys in terms of what he brings everyday to practice. He's always ready to go and doesn't seem to have a down day which will help him when he gets older because there will be times when he will struggle and shots won't fall for him and I think he's pretty well built mentally and works hard enough to handle all those things."

Brust's natural talent has also impressed teammates, including star junior guard Jordan Taylor.

"Ben is a scorer," Taylor said. "He can score in a lot of different ways. He can take it to the rim and slash with the ball. He's made a large variety of shots that I almost didn't even know existed, to be honest."

Despite his heralded scoring ability, Gard noted that one big adjustment for Brust will be improving his defending due to the differences in what is required of players at the two levels.

"I think one thing high school players go through in terms of transition is recognizing the importance of every possession, not just offensively and taking care of the ball and getting good shots, but defensively too," Gard said. "A lot of times star players in high school don't have to play great defense and are often not put on the opposing team's best player in order to protect them and keep them out of foul trouble, whereas on this level you have to guard everybody and I think that's been one adjustment for him."

Only time will tell if Ben Brust will develop into the player he is clearly capable of becoming. If he continues to put in the work and keep his spirits up, he certainly has the talent to get more minutes and eventually break into the Wisconsin starting lineup.

As Taylor said, "The sky is the limit for Ben."

The Milwaukee Bucks entered the 2010-2011 season with high expectations, both for themselves and from the media.

However, a myriad of injuries and some underwhelming performances have Milwaukee sitting eight games below .500 through 46 games. The good news is in today's Eastern Conference, a 19-27 record is good for ninth place, just half a game behind Charlotte for the final playoff spot.

While there have been injuries aplenty league-wide this season, Milwaukee has arguably been hit hardest, with its top seven players missing a combined 110 games. Sharpshooting forward Carlos Delfino, who suffered a severe concussion just seven games into the season, is finally back in the lineup following a 32-game absence. Chris Douglas-Roberts missed the first fifteen contests with an eye injury which will require him to wear protective glasses for the remainder of his career; and starting center, and current league-leader in blocks-per-game, Andrew Bogut, has dealt with several minor injuries costing him seven games.

Similarly, guard John Salmons has been banged up of late, missing nine games, including the last eight (and counting) with a right hip injury. Offseason addition Drew Gooden's ongoing bout with plantar fasciitis has resulted in 21 missed contests, including the team's last six. Perhaps the most costly injury of all came December 18 at the Bradley Center when star second-year point guard Brandon Jennings went down with a broken foot, costing him 19 games.

Despite the significant time missed by key players, Milwaukee has found a way to stay in contention in the NBA's far less deep Eastern Conference. In Jennings' absence, seldom-used veterans Earl Boykins and Keyon Dooling stepped up nicely and played surprisingly well, leading the team in scoring on several occasions. Even the often sporadic Corey Maggette has increased his production of late, averaging 20 points per game over the last four contests.

However, inconsistency has been the calling card for Milwaukee all season, as the Bucks have failed to put together a winning streak of greater than three games. Several players, namely Maggette and Chris Douglas-Roberts, have played exceptionally well on certain nights but then failed to produce on others. Maggette, notorious for his weak defense, has fallen in and out of favor with Coach Scott Skiles throughout the season, as evidenced by his production (October: 16 points per game, November: 11.6, December: 7.9, January: 16.0).

Perhaps more vital to the Bucks' current standing than any player contribution has been the weakness of the rest of the Eastern Conference, particularly the Central Division. A 19-27 second-place team is almost unheard of in today's NBA, but so is the case when Detroit, Indiana, and the lowly Cavaliers (losers of 31 of their last 32) are your division rivals. With the exception of the Chicago Bulls (11-0 versus division foes), the Central division is among the sorriest in the NBA. Here are a couple examples to put it into perspective: the bottom four teams in the division (Milwaukee, Indiana, Detroit, and Cleveland) have as many combined wins (47) as the bottom two teams in the Western Conference's Southwest division. If Milwaukee were in the Western Conference, the Bucks would currently be the 13 seed, 20.5 games out of first place. Basically, Milwaukee picked a great year to be plagued with injuries.

Despite the injuries and less than impressive first half, the Bucks, predicted to finish as highly as fourth in the East in the preseason, have to be confident that they can earn a playoff spot. The upcoming All- Star break should give players such as Salmons and Gooden the chance to fully recover and be ready to make a strong second half push.

If this happens, Milwaukee must improve on the offensive end. The Bucks rank last in the league in points per game (91.9), as well as assists (18.3), two statistics that must improve for the team to succeed. Defense, a staple of Skiles-coached teams, has not been an issue, as Milwaukee ranks fourth in the NBA in points allowed per game (93.1). If the Bucks can keep this up and stay healthy, there is no reason a playoff spot is out of reach.

Sitting as the No. 18 ranked team in the AP poll, the Wisconsin Badgers looked to improve their stock among college basketball's elite in a matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions Saturday.

Penn State (12-8, 5-4 Big Ten), led by senior guard Talor Battle, overcame a poor shooting performance in the first half and upset their third straight ranked opponent in Happy Valley.

Junior guard Jordan Taylor hit a huge 3-pointer to push the Badgers lead to 22-9 on the way to a comfortable nine-point lead at the intermission. However, the tides suddenly turned in the second half, as Battle poured in 20 of his 22 points to lead the Nittany Lions to a huge 56-52 win over UW.

Wisconsin (15-5, 5-3) initially looked to be on their way to a fourth-consecutive victory in the Big Ten. Senior forward Jon Leuer led the way for UW with 18 points to go along with Taylor's 16.

The Nittany Lions had dropped 12 consecutive affairs versus Wisconsin, stretching back eight years. UW was poised to extend that streak, but the usually physical Badgers were completely outworked in the second half.

After hitting multiple contested shots in the first half, Leuer and Taylor were suddenly stifled after the break. Penn State outscored UW 39-23 in the second half, and completely shut down the Badgers offense in a victory that may help place Penn State on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament come March.

UW, which holds an 11-0 record at home this season, has seen its fair share of struggles away from Madison.

Notoriously successful at the Kohl Center, the Badgers will need to sort out a few of their kinks away from home if they envision making a serious run over the next few months. The next couple of weeks will be key for the Badgers, who will be looking to impress the NCAA selection committee.

Although the Badgers are known for getting to the foul line, on this afternoon in State College, UW only attempted a disappointing three free throws. In comparison, the Nittany Lions attempted 20 and were clearly propelled to the victory by getting to the charity stripe time and time again. In the defensive minded Big Ten, getting to the line on a consistent basis can be the difference between a win and a loss, and that was evident Saturday.

Another problem was the lack of bench productivity. If the Badgers are going to compete for the Big Ten title, they will need better efforts than being held scoreless against an inconsistent Penn State defense.

Many had expected Wisconsin to continue their recent streak of excellence after easily dismantling a surprisingly talented Northwestern team by 32 points only a week earlier.

Joe Lunardi currently projects six Big Ten teams to make the Big Dance. That number surely may vary, but clearly evident by early season performances, any team can win a conference affair on any given night.

Tonight, Wisconsin takes on No. 11 Purdue (18-4, 7-2) in what surely will be a difficult matchup for the Badgers in Madison. Led by JaJuan Johnson, and E'Twaun Moore, the Boilermakers will look to keep a steady hold on the two spot in Big Ten play.

Many had projected the Boilermakers to make a serious run to the Final Four. Unfortunately, Purdue suffered a huge early letdown in the preseason when star forward Robbie Hummel tore his right ACL for a second consecutive year.

Defying all odds, Purdue has still been one of the top teams nationally, and they will look to hand the Badgers their first home loss of the season.

If the Badgers can play their usual blue-collar basketball--wind down the shot clock, and get to the foul line early and often--UW will have an excellent shot at pulling off the upset.

Despite the fact that conference road victories hold more leeway come March, defeating one of the top teams in the nation at home will surely prove to be a spark for the Badgers after their recent letdown. As the season winds down, every conference matchup down the stretch will be crucial as Wisconsin tries to grab a valuable top seed in the NCAA Tournament.