MADISON — Wisconsin entered Tuesday's tilt with Michigan in dire need of a victory. Two games below even in the Big Ten standings, and on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, every game feels like the Badgers’ season is on the line. That doesn’t mean they needed any extra motivation when Michigan rolled into town.
What happened last year between these teams is well-documented. So are the comments Hunter Dickinson made last month. No one needs to be reminded, and that was evident Tuesday night at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin’s student section organized a blackout. Jett Howard wore a t-shirt that read “Free Juwan.” Dickinson arrived in a bank robbery-style ski mask.
“I don’t want (this game) to always be remembered as that moment,” Juwan Howard said after the game. He didn’t have much say in the matter.
When the Wolverines took the court just before tip off, and Howard’s name was announced, thunderous boos rained down from Area Red. There was a tangible electricity in the air, a feeling that this was more than a basketball game. This was personal.
Every time Dickinson touched the ball, the student section voiced their displeasure. He was continuously booed until he passed or shot, and the cheers were extra loud after his misses.
Dickinson seemed to enjoy the attention. Towards the end of the first half, he really began interacting with the student section. His gestures ranged from hushing the crowd to waving his arms, encouraging their jeering. Dickinson wasn’t made available to the media after the game, but Howard made it clear he has his center’s back.
“Hunter is a competitor, man,” he said. “I’m in the trenches with Hunter 24/7.”
After torching the Badgers for 21 points a season ago, Dickinson himself had a modest game. The junior recorded a double-double, but scored just 12 points.
The student section was especially raucous when Dickinson was matched up with Steven Crowl in the post. The boos would swell to a crescendo, and when Dickinson failed to finish at the rim, the cheers were almost more exuberant than when Wisconsin scored.
For the most part, Dickinson held his composure. On at least one occasion, however, the center appeared to respond directly to the rising chorus of jeers from the crowd, deciding to take matters into his own hands following an entry pass and missing the layup, to the delight of the student section.
Coming off nothing less than a collapse in Lincoln, it was imperative for the Badgers to start their homestand strong.
“I was satisfied with the response Sunday, after film, in film,” Greg Gard said. “They owned it, it wasn’t pretty. But I was direct.”
Wisconsin’s performance on the offensive boards was another catalyst for firing up the crowd. The Badgers haven’t been a strong rebounding team this season, but they got it done against the Wolverines on the offensive glass, reeling in 15 boards to Michigan’s eight. There were second chances and third chances, all of which served to add extra juice to an already feisty crowd.
“Coaches have been on us…talking about playing with our hair on fire,” Crowl said regarding the work Wisconsin did on the offensive glass.
The Badgers played with their hair on fire and their hearts on their sleeve, showing a mental fortitude down the stretch that clearly wasn’t present against Nebraska. In perhaps the most emotional game of the season yet, Wisconsin rode the home crowd to a massive win.
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