Badger of Honor
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Wisconsin Basketball: Top ten games in the last decade

By Trevor Jossart

Mar 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Bronson Koenig (24) shoots the game-winning shot during the second half in the second round against the Xavier Musketeers of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Wisconsin won 66-63. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Bronson Koenig (24) shoots the game-winning shot during the second half in the second round against the Xavier Musketeers of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Wisconsin won 66-63. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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3. December 29, 2007: Wisconsin 67, No. 9 Texas 66

“Bo Ryan is a thief!”

Those were the words of the television broadcast after the unranked Wisconsin Badgers somehow pulled off the major upset in Austin, Texas without their starting point guard.

A common theme in every big upset, the Badgers hung around the Longhorns the whole game- a team that had three players go to the NBA- and capitalized on some rare miscues down the stretch.

Longhorns’ guard A.J. Abrams, a 93 percent free throw shooter, made just one of two with 11 seconds left to give Texas a two-point lead. From there, Michael Flowers took over.

Not only did Flowers connect on the game winning three, but the awareness he had after the play, especially after making a big shot like that, to run up and steal the ball and throw it in the air before time expired makes his performance in this one a jack-of-all-trades.

The entire sequence happened so fast that you could tell the disbelief on the Longhorns fans. What makes it even more incredible, if possible, is that the Badgers won without starting point guard Trevon Hughes- who was a huge part of their offensive contributions. Flowers, normally a defensive guy, stepped up big when needed, scoring just seven points- three of which were probably the biggest of his career.

“I was laying for that steal all game and I finally got one on that inbounds pass,” said Flowers, who also had two steals. “I jumped and left my feet so I couldn’t come down and call timeout. I just threw it straight up in the air and hoped time ran out.”

Wisconsin finished the season 31-5. It is a safe assumption to say this could have been where it all began.