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Team: Wisconsin Badgers
Conference: Big Ten
Home Games: Kohl Center
Head Coach: Greg Gard
Conference Championships: Three
All-Time Greats: Frank Kaminsky, Devin Harris, Sam Dekker, Jon Leuer, Ethan Happ, Michael Finley, Brian Butch, Trevon Hughes, Alando Tucker
Rivals: Minnesota, Illinois
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Badger basketball has seen some tremendously high highs and some modest lows. Games are played at the Kohl Center, which has a notoriously chilling reputation for any away team playing against the Badgers, but the actual court is named the Ab Nicholas Court. While Badger basketball is competitive, the team often has exceptional players that go on to earn even greater accolades in the NBA, such as Michael Finley, who won an NBA championship with the
San Antonio Spurs
, and Wes Matthews, who was the 14th pick in the 1980 NBA draft. Wisconsin basketball players have a history of coming together in clutch moments to pull off big wins. In 2000, the team had an average record and no noteworthy players to speak of who made the all-conference team. Yet somehow, despite the odds, the team made it to the Final Four. This is Badgers basketball in a nutshell. If you want to experience the magic for yourself, grab your Badgers tickets at StubHub.
''Since 1998, Wisconsin has won three Big Ten Conference championships. While the conference has been in existence since the late 19th century, the Big Ten tournament championship did not begin until 1998.'
'It seems that all Big Ten teams consider each team in the conference as a rival. However, few rivalries go as deep within the conference as Wisconsin and Minnesota. Both teams have been a part of the conference since its inception in the 1800s. The rivals currently have a record of 100 to 92 with the Minnesota Golden Gophers having a slight lead over the Badgers. It can be expected that this rivalry will remain intact for another century no matter the changes made to the teams in the Big Ten conference. Another longtime rival is Illinois, which has faced the Badgers more than any other opponent in the history of the Fighting Illini.'
'In 1998, the Kohl Center opened. It was named after beloved US Senator Herb Kohl. In 2017, the court was renamed as the Ab Nicholas Court to honor the late alumnus and philanthropist who was a three-year Badgers shooting guard. The arena seats up to 17,287 people during men’s basketball games. It sold out for 143 consecutive games from 2003 to 2011. Badgers basketball is just as popular as ever, with the current tally at 57 consecutive game sellouts.'
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Wisconsin has been to the Final Four a respectable four times over the years with one of those appearances leading to a national championship title in 1941. The most recent Final Four appearance of Wisconsin was in 2015 when the team suffered a heartbreaking defeat by the
Duke Blue Devils
in the championship game.
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Home games are typically played in Madison, with most away games taking place on the home courts of the Big Ten conference, such as at the
Iowa Hawkeyes
and the
Indiana Hoosiers
. You can also find Wisconsin Badgers' basketball games in various states against teams outside the conference, as well as games against rivals within the state, including Green Bay and
Marquette
.
''The Wisconsin basketball team has been part of the Big Ten conference since 1890, alongside Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan and others. While teams have come and gone over the years, Wisconsin remains loyal to and a powerful force within the Big Ten.'