Sweet 16 & Elite 8

NEVER A DOUBT.

And I mean that! Never a freaking doubt that we were taking down Villanova. Okay, maybe there were several moments of slight doubt (down 7 with 5 minutes to go). But what a time to be alive when you can be rationally confident you're gonna take down the #1 overall seed. EL GARDO ES EL MEJOR.

Now, new challenges await. First up is a Florida team that is quietly up to #3 in the KenPom ratings. But they don't scare me. You know what does scare me? MSG and its NBA rims. WORKING THEORY: we cannot shoot on NBA rims. This has been my unofficial observation and hypothesis for decades. Whatever the reason may be, we simply do not seem to shoot well on rigid NBA rims. Oh how we've grown to love the delicate, gentile bounces of the Kohl Center rims.

I refuse to do any research, and I suppose the Marquette game this year flies in the face of everything I'm saying, but if I have one major concern about our surprisingly good chances to make it to the Final Four... it's those damn rims.

But it's the season for overcoming fears and conquering obstacles. My rational confidence remains unfazed. No team has more experience in the moment, and it's not like we're running a bunch of scrubs out there. Bring on the Gators. Gimme Baylor. I want 'em all.

Friday night, 9:00 pm tip. That is so hot I'm afraid to even think about how the night is gonna play out. Lava hot tip time. Friday night. Bring it.

PS - Coming for that ass Florida:

Think they're still loose? 😂

Not many have more fun during #MarchMadness than the #Badgers. pic.twitter.com/OicvrMfvWO

— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 23, 2017

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FLORIDA ALUMNI: RANKED

What criteria are they ranked on? WHIM OF A MADMAN (me).

Last) Ryan Lochte, American gold medalist and silver medalist at 2004 Athens Olympics, gold medalist and bronze medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and gold, silver and bronze medalist at the 2012 London Olympics. Did they ever actually figure out the truth in Brazil? What was this idiot doing? I'm assuming he and his friends were just sauced to the bone and being jackasses and then tried to lie their ways out of it, right? Cool guy.

NCAA Tournament 1st & 2nd Rounds

I was twelve years old the last time Wisconsin didn't make the NCAA Tournament. And I am OLD now! There's not a player on the current team that can even remember the last time Wisconsin missed the tournament. Recruits we're going after these days weren't even alive the last time we missed the dance. If you're a really old Wisconsin fan, I can only imagine how mind bottling this two decade run of consistent winning has been.

And yet, most of us have spent this year feeling completely and utterly frustrated with the way this team fell apart. A lot of that is justified - who the hell expected a team with 4 senior starters to blow a 1.5 game lead in February (too lazy to fact check) and limp into the tournament as an 8 seed?

But last I checked, this was still a team that finished 2nd in the B1G, runner-up in the B1G tourney, and went 25-9. This is still a dangerous team with a senior point guard and All-American big. And this is still a team with a bandwagon I simply cannot jump off. Expectations are low, but the opportunity to shock America's face off is prime. I dig that.