CONTENTS APRIL 2, 2015 ■ VOLUME 5, ISSUE 32 DAVID STLUKA DAVID COVER STORY BUILT ON BELIEF From the time they walked off the floor a year ago, the Badgers had no doubt they could be back in the Final Four. Now, the team’s quest to “Make ‘Em Believe” is nearly complete. FEATURES ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR IN [FOCUS] HOW THEY GOT HERE The week's best photos ICON SPORTSWIRE ICON From go-karts to Chanticleers and LUCAS AT LARGE from Will Ferrell to Wildcats, a look Brust believes in Badgers back on the Badgers’ run to a sec­ BEHIND THE DESK ond-straight Final Four. A team to be proud of THE VOICE Final Four a dream no more LUCAS AT LARGE BY THE NUMBERS Facts and figures on UW BEN THERE BEFORE WHAT TO WATCH Few are more qualified to assess DAVID STLUKA DAVID Final Four and much more the Badgers’ chances vs. Ken­ tucky than Ben Brust, who will be BADGER HISTORY watching the Final Four from afar. Best of the Badgers in Indy Wisconsin Athletic Communications Kellner Hall, 1440 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711 VIEW ALL ISSUES Brian Lucas Director of Athletic Communications Julia Hujet Editor/Designer Brian Mason Managing Editor Mike Lucas Senior Writer Matt Lepay Columnist Drew Scharenbroch Video Production Amy Eager Advertising Drew Pittner-Smith Distribution Contributors Paul Capobianco, Tam Flarup, Kelli Grashel, A.J. Harrison, Brandon Harrison, Patrick Herb, Diane Nordstrom Photography David Stluka, Neil Ament, Greg Anderson, Bob Campbell, Pam Ruschell, Cal Sport Media, Icon Sportswire Cover Photo: Icon Sportswire Problems or Accessibility Issues? [email protected] © 2015 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. All rights reserved worldwide. LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS » UWBADGERS.COM Brust believes Badgers can take title ndianapolis and Lucas Oil with 15 points each in the 74-73 said, “and teams play different Stadium are miles away; loss to Kentucky. “That whole ways and you’re just constantly I 4,672 miles away, to be exact, day was surreal when you know changing and adapting and try­ from Pasvalys, Lithuania and it has come to an end,” Brust ing to game plan for that.” Pasvalys Arena; a 1,200-seat said. “There are so many mixed There are plenty of other venue that will be the site of emotions from that game; losing ex-Wisconsin players who have Saturday’s matchup between at the buzzer.” gone through similar transi­ Lietuvos Rytas and Pieno Zvaig­ What he misses most are the tions, including former team­ zdes. Ben Brust is planning to little things, day-to-day things, mates Jared Berggren who’s take a nap between games. like playing video games with in Belgium, and Jordan Taylor, The other game Saturday is Josh Gasser. “It’s just so much who’s in Israel. Beyond group a Final Four rematch between different professionally versus texts, they can stay in touch Wisconsin and Kentucky which college,” Brust said. “Just the through Twitter, Instagram, will tip off in the middle of the amount of time you spend with Facebook and Snapchat. morning (3:47 a.m.) for Brust each other, it’s so different, I “Anyone who has played in because of the eight-hour time don’t even know how to com­ this program is pretty much fully difference between the United pare and contrast.” invested,” Brust said. “I don’t States and Lithuania. “I wish I even want to say it’s a broth­ could be there,” said Brust, a “IT’S QUITE AMAZING, erhood, but it’s just something backup guard for Pieno. BACK-TO-BACK FINAL that everyone cares about. I talk His heart will definitely be with to Jordan all the time. We’ve FOURS,” SAID BRUST. “IT his alma mater and the Bad­ actually watched some (UW) gers, even though the 23-year­ SPEAKS TO THE PROGRAM games together via FaceTime old Brust unintentionally left AND WHAT COACH (BO) RYAN and we’ve talked about it.” his 2014 Final Four ring back at HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO.” There has been plenty of buzz his parents’ home in Hawthorn around the Badgers, aka the Woods, Illinois, after signing a Brust still loves playing bas­ Buzzcuts, a nickname of choice professional contract to play ketball. Coming off the bench for some national pundits/blog­ this season in the Lithuanian for Pieno, he’s averaging 20 gers. “It’s quite amazing, back- Basketball League (LKL). minutes, 7.5 points and 2.7 re­ to-back Final Fours,” said Brust, Upon relocating to Pasvalys, bounds. “There have been good who has grown out his hair a a small community of less than spurts and bad spurts and OK little. “It speaks to the program 10,000 some two hours from Vil­ spurts, a little bit of everything,” and what Coach (Bo) Ryan has nius, the capital and largest city he said. “I’d probably say there been able to do.” in Lithuania, Brust admitted, have been a lot of ups and Brust has caught every NCAA “It was a crazy transition and it downs.” tournament game, so he saw all happened so fast that I did But he expected as much be­ Dekker drill five triples in what forget some things that I wish I fore he agreed to the one-year was a Brust-like shooting exhibi­ had.” contract and he’s taking it all tion against Arizona. “I’ve seen What he has is memories, in and making the most of the it in practice and going one-on­ Final Four memories. Brust and experience. “There are so many one against Sam,” he said, “and Sam Dekker led UW in scoring different styles of play,” he I’m just so happy to see that -PAGE 1 OF 2­ LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS » UWBADGERS.COM finally come out, especially on predicting that the ‘Cats would “In touching the post, you this stage.” be 38-1 on Saturday. don’t necessarily have to go up Frank Kaminsky’s develop­ “The good thing about playing against their two shot-block­ ment has been equally stunning for Wisconsin, especially with ers; you can draw some peo­ to most observers and Brust is this team, they only have to ple down there and kick it out no exception. “I think back to worry about what they do,” he to guys who can knock down when I had my apartment my said, ‘because what they do is in shots. I’m just excited to see it sophomore summer and Frank their control and that’s the way all come full circle because I’ve would come over and we would you like to think about it and got a good feeling about this sit and play video games,” not in terms of, ‘Well, we need one.” Brust said. “Never in my wildest them to play bad.’ Brust was revving up his en­ dreams did I ever…” “They just need to play a gine. “They never gotten too Before finishing that thought, good, solid game overall and big for themselves this year and he added the qualifier, “Not that not change anything they’ve they’ve always had their eye on he couldn’t do it.” been doing all year because what they wanted,” he said of Pausing, he said, “I just didn’t that’s what has gotten them to the return trip to the Final Four. think then that I was sitting next this point. But it also helps that “Clicking at the right time is big to the national player of the you’ve got an experienced front and they’re clicking, and that’s year. His growth from freshman line that can match up with and what makes them dangerous year to now is unbelievable. give them problems. right now.” ■ He’s a mismatch when you put a smaller guy on him, a bigger guy, a quicker guy. He can work it any way, any style. It’s almost unfair at times to watch.” Brust didn’t leave anyone out in discussing what has made this team click, from starters to reserves, from stars to role players. “You can go down the list,” he said, “and talk about how each person has been valu­ able. Everyone on the roster has done a good job of chipping in.” As far as the Kentucky chal­ lenge, which is obviously formi­ dable because of the Wildcats’ talent and depth, their size and length, particularly on defense, Brust is still confident. Overly so, perhaps, in that he went DAVID STLUKA DAVID “Daxter Miles Jr.” with a tweet -PAGE 2 OF 2­ BEHIND THE DESK BY BARRY ALVAREZ » UW DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS In many ways, Badgers make us proud remember meeting Sam Dek­ No one got complacent over pulling for our team and Sam. I ker when he was a senior in the success that they had last like having him in our camp. I high school and I’ve always year in getting to the Final Four. We’ve always had a great re­ liked the way he played; he has They’ve worked harder than lationship with the Packers. so much ability as everybody ever and they’re a better team Anything we’ve asked of them, saw in the Arizona game. than they were a year ago. any type of assistance, they’ve He’s another example of an I remember telling people on always been willing to help. in-state athlete who decided to campus how hard it is to get to a They’ve always pulled for us.