Wisconsin Badgers fans aren’t too happy about their Saturday after their basketball team were tripped by the lower seeded BYU Cougars.
The Badgers were projected to win the game given the way the way they ended the regular season. This is why many were surprised, even BYU’s legendary guard Jimmer Fredette.
The Cougars great, now 36, was in attendance in the game at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado to support his former school. He admitted that BYU was facing a formidable opponent in that second round match-up.
“Yeah, I was nervous,” Fredette said in an interview with The Associated Press after the game.
“Look, you watched the game and you’re kind of like, ‘How did we get to a two-point game here, you know?”
He recognized the strength the Badgers had but he also insisted that BYU is capable of doing great things
“But look, I think that describes this team. They fight, they’re resilient and play with heart and energy. And you’re going to win a lot of games doing that.”
Fredette played for BYU Cougars from 2007 to 2011 and was named the National College Player of the Year in 2011. They made the NCAA March Madness in all seasons he played and reached the Sweet 16 in his last season.
Wisconsin Badgers were doomed by slow first half start
BYU came out like men on a mission the Badgers were totally different as they surrendered a 16-8 lead in the first five minutes.
They were able to get close to a 16-14 deficit but then they surrendered seven straight to have it at 23-14 by the halfway mark of the first half.
They were playing catch-up from there. Head coach Greg Gard, who is moving on from the loss by putting things into perspective, thought their lack of aggressiveness on the defense was suspect.
“It took us a while to get our feet defensively,” said. “We didn’t until a little bit in the first half, and then a little bit better in the second half … Unfortunately we weren’t able to get traction a little bit earlier defensively.”
The Badgers were able to return to the game in the last ten minutes of second half after allowing the Cougars to build a 70-58 cushion.
They were able to trim it at 91-89 with 60 seconds to go and even had the chance to win but to no avail.
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