Friday, February 1, 2008

Wisconsin Beats Indiana

Last night, #13 Wisconsin beat #11 Indiana 62-49.

This game doesn't really count as an upset. But it's worth noting that Wisconsin was able to force Indiana to play at their pace. And Wisconsin held Indiana superstar freshman Eric Gordon in check for most of the game. Gordon finished with 16 points and 3 assists. But he had a tough time against the Badgers' rugged defense.

This was the kind of game that reminds you that it's February in the Big Ten. In February Big Ten teams really start to grind it out. It's not always beautiful basketball, but the scraping, tough basketball that Big Ten teams play in the stretch run of the college basketball season makes the Big Ten interesting every year.

It's now officially that time of the year.

5 comments:

Mark Buckets said...

The Big 10 is a sheer bloodbath this time of year. Pretty much anyone - outside of Northwestern - can muck up the game and have a shot. No one is immune from the upset bug in the Big 10.

As for Wisconsin, this is a team that has developed nicely. Though they rely on a 7-man rotation that could hurt them down the road, they play within themselves and are hard-nosed defensively.

Duke's win over Wisconsin in late November is looking better and better after each passing game.

S.K. said...

Mark,

Wisconsin is like this every year.

Just about any team that beats Wisconsin in November or early December can trumpet that Wisconsin win by February/March. It's always ends up being a resume booster (even if it didn't look all that impressive at the time of the win).

But if this Wisconsin team follows the typical Wisconsin trajectory, they probably won't make it past the Sweet Sixteen (if they even get that far).

Anonymous said...

I went to Outdoor Ed. in Wisconsin with Mr. Macal and Ms. Lucht. In the evening, we learned how to do the Limbo and Electric Slike. The next day we got up again and looked at more bugs. On the way home we ate at Old Country Buffet. Mmmmmm.

S.K. said...

Shiven,

Just North of the Wisconsin Dells, there's an exit off of 90/94 that has a few gas stations, hotels and fast food restaurants.

When I go to Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota, I usually stop for gas at the Shell station that's just off that exit.

One of the good things about that Shell station is that they maintain a fairly clean bathroom. But what always gets me is the ad that hangs above the urinal, on the bathroom wall.

The ad is for a local gentleman's club named "Chubby's."

Chubby's is housed in a log cabin/hunting lodge style building that appears to be pretty far off the beaten path (from the ad, the club appears to be sequestered in the woods, a few miles out of town and away from the interstate).

But Chubby's supposedly has the best girls in the area.

And, best yet, it's all nude.

I guess the thing that I love is just how innocent the ad makes Chubby's appear. It's kind of like a classic Americana/Norman Rockwell type ad. And the guy who owns the place is apparently named "Chubby."

How charming.

Either that or the name "Chubby's" is intended to connote something else.

And the juxtaposition of the Chubby's ad to a condom dispenser that's also on the bathroom wall let's you know that, although Wisconsin folks like to have fun, they know how to do things responsibly.

S.K. said...

I should say that the gas station and truck stop bathrooms in Wisconsin are cleaner and more quaint than the typical gas station and truck stop bathrooms in Missouri.

In Missouri, there are lots of downscale strip joints and adult bookstores/peep shows just off Interstate 70.

So the gas stations and truck stops get a lot of strip joint/adult book store/peep show traffic.

You'll find lots of references to gay sex scribbled on the walls of gas station and truck stop bathrooms. Clearly, these restrooms facilitate quite a bit of random, anonymous gay sex.

Missouri gas station rest rooms = gay hook up joints.

Wisconsin gas station restrooms = not so much.

Advantage = Wisconsin gas station/truck stop restrooms.