Senior Salute
May 02, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Senior year is a strange time in any college athlete's career. For many, it 's the last chance to compete at a high level. It's the final opportunity to share a season with the teammates you've bonded with and the fans you 've grown accustomed to. It's also the year when many step into a leadership role, showing the younger players the road to success.
With the many emotions that senior brings, one can hardly imagine a better way for a group to go out than with two championships, a school-record number of wins and a run to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament.
That's how Tanner Bronson, Brian Butch, Michael Flowers and Greg Stiemsma went out, on top. The four were a part of 105 Badger victories during their four seasons, a school record. Here is a look at all four and how they have contributed to Wisconsin basketball history.
Tanner Bronson
By this point, pretty much everyone is familiar with Tanner's story. He came to UW as just a regular student. He had played in high school at Nicolet and wanted a chance to be a part of the Badgers. Coach Ryan told him there were no opportunities that year but if he wanted to be a manager, maybe a walk-on spot would open up. And that's exactly what happened.
Bronson immediately stepped in as the point guard on the scout team, a role he would fill for the next four years. With just 13 players on the roster, there was plenty of practice time to be had, and Bronson took advantage of it. He immediately became a fan favorite, knocking down a 3-pointer in his first action as a UW player, that season 's exhibition opener against UW-Parkside.
Bronson saw his most extensive action as a sophomore. Following the transfer of DeAaron Williams, UW was left with just three scholarship guards (Kammron Taylor, Ray Nixon and Michael Flowers). Bronson played in seven straight games to open Big Ten play, including a first-half stint in the Badgers' win at Minnesota. After three games on the bench, Bronson got the chance of a lifetime against Indiana at home.
With Flowers and Taylor in foul trouble and Indiana sporting a four-guard lineup, Bronson got extended playing time for the first time in his career. And he made the most of it. Playing 12 minutes, Bronson took four shots. He made just one but that one make nearly blew the roof off the Kohl Center. Midway through the second half, Bronson made a steal on defense. On the other end, the Badgers swung the ball around the arc until Bronson was all alone. Firing over an outstretched IU defender running a him, Bronson's three found nothing but net, increasing UW's lead to 19 points and setting the home crowd into a frenzy.
Later in the season, in the Big Ten tournament, the Badgers and Hoosiers met up again with Bronson again playing a major role. This time it wasn't as successful for Bronson and UW as the guard played nine scoreless minutes and Indiana advanced with a 61-56 win.
The 3-pointer vs. Indiana was the only one in Bronson's career until this season. In the third game of the year, vs. Florida A&M, he hit a pair of triples and recorded a career-high six points. The shot that most Badger fans will remember, though, is the one Bronson hit to cap Senior Night. He entered the game with just under five minutes to play and missed two jumpers within a minute of each other. With less than three minutes left and the shot clock winding down, Bronson pulled up from about 25 feet and drilled a three. The crowd went absolutely crazy and the bench erupted.
For his career, Bronson played in 68 games, logging 134 minutes and scoring 25 points. He also recorded 15 career steals, or one every nine minutes.
Brian Butch
It is not an understatement to say that every basketball fan in Wisconsin knew who Brian Butch was from the first day he stepped on campus in Madison. A McDonald's All-American, he had been the face of high school basketball in the state for a number of years. As a true freshman, he made the decision to sit out the season as a redshirt, mostly to bulk up.
His long-awaited debut came during the 2004-05 exhibition season when he made 4-of-5 shots and scored 13 points. The regular-season opener against Penn was much of the same as he scored 10 points in 15 minutes off the bench. During that first season there were a number of ups and downs for Butch.
Against Maryland in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, ESPN analyst Steve Lavin dubbed him 'the Polar Bear,' a nickname that would improbably stick with his throughout his career. In a three-game stretch against UW-Milwaukee, UNC Greeensboro and Western Carolina, the big man averaged 9.0 points and 6.7 rebounds. On Feb. 2 against Northwestern, Butch scored a career-best 12 points, making both of his 3-pointers. Less than a week later, however, he was diagnosed with mononucleosis that would cause him to miss six games. He returned in time for post-season play but after missing so much time, was not much of a factor. He played just 35 minutes over the final eight games, scoring four points.
After the disappointing end, personally, to that season, Butch started his sophomore campaign on fire. In the season-opener in St. Thomas he torched Norfolk State for 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-3 from three-point range. At one point, the Paradise Jam public address announcer was moved to say, 'Brian Butch makes it look so easy. ' Butch scored in double figures in each of the first five games, recording his first career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a nationally-televised ACC-Big Ten Challenge game at Wake Forest.
During that sophomore season, Butch started all but one game, led the team in rebounding and ranked third in scoring. He registered 14 double-digit scoring games and grabbed at least nine boards on eight occasions. In two critical wins for UW late in the season, Butch came up big. He registered career highs in points (23) and rebounds (12) at Penn State, then followed it up with 17 points, including three 3-pointers, against Ohio State.
Last year, Butch played a major role in UW earning the first No. 1 ranking in school history. He started each of the first 29 games and was again leading the team in rebounding and third on the team in scoring. When No. 2 Pitt and All-America candidate Aaron Gray came to town on Dec. 16, Butch was ready. He responded with one of the best games of his career, scoring a personal-best 27 points and adding 11 rebounds. He recorded three other double-doubles that season and had 11 double-figure scoring games.
All of that came to end in the historic 'No. 1 vs. No. 1' game in Columbus on Feb. 25. After coming off the bench for the first time all season, Butch played only three minutes before sustaining a gruesome elbow injury that would sideline him for the rest of the season.
Much like the start of his sophomore season, when he overcame a tough end to the previous year, Butch began this season in a big way. He scored in double figures in eight of the first nine games, recording a double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds in the season-opener. In the final non-conference game of the season, at No. 9 Texas, Butch again showed his ability to rise on a big stage. He dominated the inside, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Six of those points came in the final four minutes, setting the stage (literally) for fellow senior Flowers' late-game heroics.
For a big man with a good touch, it was unusual that Butch started the season 0-of-16 from 3-point range. He finally got on the board with a trey against Marquette but that still didn't really get him off the shied. Heading into the Badgers' game at Purdue, Butch was 3-of-32 (.094) from distance. In the final 18 games of the season, he went 22-of-49 (.449) from beyond the arc. Included among those was the biggest shot of his career.
Following the Badgers' loss at home to Purdue, they were in danger of falling further behind in the Big Ten race with a tough road game against Indiana. Locked in a tight game, Butch was at his best down the stretch. He scored nine of UW's final 12 points, two baskets off offensive rebounds and one in the final minute from a strong post-up. With 12 seconds left and Wisconsin trailing by one, the Badgers inbounded the ball to Marcus Landry. He dribbled towards the top of the key and handed the ball off to Butch. Butch let it fly from beyond the arc, banking it in with seconds remaining and giving UW a critical win.
In the regular season finale, as UW was attempting to clinch the outright Big Ten title, Butch led the Badgers past Northwestern with a 20-point, 14-rebound effort. In the Big Ten tournament semifinals against Michigan State, Butch was instrumental in Wisconsin 's comeback victory, contributing 19 points and seven rebounds.
For all his contributions this season, Butch earned consensus first-team All-Big Ten honors. He was also an all-district selection by both the NABC and USBWA. For his career, he is one of just eight players in UW history with at least 1,000 points and 600 rebounds. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, he earned his undergraduate degree in May of 2007 and attended graduate school this year.
Michael Flowers
The motor never stopped running. That is the best way many people could think to describe Michael Flowers. He came to Wisconsin known as a terrific defensive player and displayed those skills early in his career. As a freshman, he played double-digit minutes in 14 games. That included a stretch of seven games late in the year where he averaged 13.9 minutes. That stretch started with an 18-minute performance at Michigan State where he scored six points on a pair of 3-pointers. It was also the first extensive meeting between Flowers and MSU's Drew Neitzel.
As a sophomore, Flowers' role increased as he established himself as one of the best defenders in the Big Ten. His all-around game was on display in the Badgers' win over UW-Green Bay as he scored 12 points and added six steals and four assists. It was the first of his 29 career double-figure scoring games. Flowers also turned in a 10-point, five-assist performance in a home win over Penn State.
Last season, Flowers' game really blossomed, for lack of a better term. He started all 36 games and was third on the team in minutes played, behind Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor. He led the team in assists, had a better than 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and finished third in the Big Ten in steals.
Flowers added some scoring punch as well, especially evidenced in the Badgers' overtime win over Winthrop in early December. Facing a team that would later advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament, UW was in a tight battle the entire game. Wisconsin led by as many as 14 points in the second half but Winthrop battled back and took a two-point lead with less than a minute to play. On UW's final possession of regulation, Taylor missed a 3-pointer but Flowers tracked down the rebound. After a timeout, Tucker missed a jumper in traffic but Flowers fought his way to the rebound and tied the game with a left-handed scoop shot. In overtime, Flowers gave the Badgers the lead for good with a 3-pointer on UW's first possession then assisted on consecutive baskets by Butch and Tucker to give Wisconsin some breathing room. In all, Flowers played 42 of the 45 minutes, scored 21 points and added five assists and four rebounds.
Flowers' athleticism, usually on display on the defensive end, often resulted in some amazing offensive plays. One of those came in the Badgers' Big Ten opener against Minnesota. With the upstart Gophers holding a five-point lead around the midway point of the first half, Flowers stole the ball and raced upcourt. As he was going up for the dunk, UM's Jonathan Williams went up for the block. Not the right move on his part as Flowers jammed the ball over him and was fouled. The play ignited the crowd and Flowers' teammates, who ended the half on a 31-7 run on the way to a 68-45 win.
Flowers' explosiveness was also evidenced in the Badgers' Big Ten tournament quarterfinal game against Michigan State. Coming off a narrow two-point win against the Spartans just seven days earlier, Flowers helped put this one out of reach early as he scored eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in the first 3:45 of the game igniting UW's game-opening 10-0 run. MSU never got closer than five points after that.
This year Flowers' preseason was interrupted by a personal leave of absence and during the first seven games of the season he came off the bench. He still played at least 24 minutes in six of those games and got off to a very strong start on the defensive end. He recorded at least one steal in each of the first five games, totaling 12. In that fifth game, a hard-fought Badger win over Georgia, Flowers recorded his only career double-double, registering 16 points and 10 rebounds.
As the non-conference season was coming to a close, UW faced a stern road test at No. 9 Texas. All Badger fans know how the game turned out but many more are coming to realize the special moments that happened the night before the game. Flowers met with a young boy named Max Bass, who was suffering from leukemia, in the team hotel. Bass, whose father is a UW alum, had come to recognize Flowers as his favorite player. After the two chatted for some time, Max gave Michael a good luck charm. The whole story can be seen in this moving Big Ten Network feature .
Pretty much everyone knows what happened the next day. Flowers, with added responsibilities due to the injury to Trevon Hughes, played 30 minutes, mostly playing point guard. Up until the final seconds, he only took six shots and had just four points. But what happened in the final 40 seconds made it the game of his life.
One thing often overlooked in the recap of that magical win is the Badgers' possession prior to Flwoers' game-winning shot. Jason Bohannon missed a 3-pointer as the shot clock was running down but Flowers tracked down the offensive rebound. With one more chance, Marcus Landry scored to cut the Texas lead to one point. After A.J. Abrams split a pair of free throws, Flowers dribbled the ball up the left side. He cut towards the top of the key where he rubbed off a high screen from Brian Butch. When the Texas defender went under the screen, Flowers stopped and drilled a 3-pointer to put UW up one. In a play that pretty much defined Flowers' career, he then stepped in front of Texas ' inbounds pass and flung the ball high in the air as he was falling out of bounds, letting time expire and giving UW the win.
Two weeks later, as the Badgers traveled to Penn State, Flowers had one of the best shooting nights of his career. Making 9-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, he scored a career-high 23 points. The Penn State game started a stretch where Flowers would make 36-of-81 (.444) from 3-point range over the final 21 games. He followed that up by playing all 40 minutes in wins against Northwestern and Michigan.
Another specific play that stands out in Flowers'' career, along with the dunk vs. Minnesota and the trey at Texas, is his steal and layup at Ohio State this year. With OSU leading by two points, Jamar Butler attempted to pass the ball up the court. Flowers, standing at midcourt, skied to pick off the pass then drove in for a layup that hung on the rim for what seemed like 10 seconds before it dropped. Coach Ryan thought it may have been the highest he had ever seen a player jump in a basketball game and the play ignited a 9-0 UW run that led to their 58-53 win.
In a career full of terrific defensive performances, Flowers' finest may have been on Feb. 28, 2008 when Michigan State came to town. Playing 35 minutes, Flowers limited Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year Drew Neitzel to just three points, his lowest point total in two years, on 1-of-10 shooting. That helped UW to a 57-42 win over the 19th-ranked Spartans.
He came back to haunt the Spartans less than three weeks later when he capped a magical UW comeback with a steal and fullcourt layup in the final minute of Wisconsin's Big Ten tournament semifinal victory. The memory of him poking away the pass then outracing Neitzel to the ball is another snap shot that could tell you all you need to know about the type of player Flowers was.
Though his career may not be able to be summed it in numbers, here is one that says a lot about Flowers'' contributions. He played in 102 Badger victories in his career, more than any other UW player in history. Along the way, he was named to the Big Ten's All-Defensive Team twice and was a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the media and a third-team choice by the coaches.
Flowers finished second in UW history in games played, was third in steals and ninth in assists while scoring 829 career points.
Greg Stiemsma
Like fellow big man Butch, Greg Stiemsma's UW career was marked by peaks and valleys but the greatest triumphs were saved for the end. Like many big men coming into college, Stiemsma's playing time was limited as a freshman. He appeared in just 10 games, totaling 27 minutes but showed a glimpse of his ability in the Badgers' final game of the season. Bo Ryan called on the big freshman in the first half of UW's battle with No. 1 seed North Carolina. Trailing by 11 points with three minutes left, Stiemsma ignited a run that would tie the game at halftime with a layup. He also played solid defense on All-American Sean May, who had 16-first-half points, but none when Stiemsma was in the game.
That served as a springboard to a solid first part of Stiemsma's sophomore season. He played 15 minutes in UW's Paradise Jam championship game against Old Dominion, grabbing a career-high seven rebounds. In the Big Ten opener against Iowa, Stiemsma didn't score but did just about everything else, recording five blocked shots, four rebounds, four assists and three steals in 17 minutes of play. However, at the beginning of the second semester, Stiemsma revealed he was battling depression and would be academically ineligible for the second semester.
Stiemsma returned the next season and played in 34 of UW's 36 games. His breakout game came at Illinois, where the Badgers' were trying to break a seven-game Assembly Hall losing streak. Coming off the bench, Stiemsma recorded career highs in minutes (21) and points (12), making 5-of-6 shots. Hs back-to-back jumpers early in the second half ignited a 12-3 UW run. Then, with less than four minutes left, he made a jumper and two free throws to put UW ahead for good.
Another memorable moment from that season came in the Badgers' battle for No. 1 with Ohio State late in the year. Finally playing someone his own size in Buckeyes ' center Greg Oden, Stiemsma logged 13 minutes scoring four points and adding three rebounds. The defining play came when Stiemsma blocked the future NBA No. 1 draft pick's shot, a replay that was shown a number of times during CBS's broadcast.
Heading into his senior season, Stiemsma was looking forward to his increased role. He started the first seven games, averaging 17.6 minutes. Included among those games was a 10-point, eight-rebound effort vs. Savannah State. At Penn State in the beginning of the Big Ten season, Stiemsma provided some foreshadowing, going for 10 points in just 11 minutes of play.
Going into the final two home games of his career, it seemed Stiemsma was set on leaving his mark. In the Badgers wonderful defensive performance against Michigan State he contributed three blocked shots and scored six points in 13 minutes of action. That was merely a prelude to Senior Night a week later when Stiemsma scored 10 points, adding six rebounds and two assists while tying a personal-best with 21 minutes. One of the exclamation points of the night was Stiemsma's follow dunk off a Jason Bohannon fast-break 3-point attempt. He followed that up by grabbing an offensive rebound on the next possession and finding Joe Krabbenhoft for what is believed to be his first collegiate dunk.
As good as that night was, it pales in comparison to the effort by Stiemsma in the Badgers' second round NCAA tournament victory over Kansas State. The Wildcats entered the game with the most decorated freshman in the country, forward Michael Beasley. In the first half, Stiemsma started quick, scoring five points and grabbing three rebounds in his first four minutes. In the second half, Stiemsma kept up his offensive productivity. With nine minutes left, KSU had cut the lead to nine points and was applying some backcourt pressure. Jason Bohannon broke the pressure with a long pass to Stiemsma, who took a couple dribbles to drive in for a layup and get fouled. It ignited a 14-2 UW run to put the game out of reach. Stiemsma finished the game with 14 points and seven rebounds in just 14 minutes of action.
For his career, Stiemsma played in 95 games, scored 252 points and grabbed 215 rebounds. His 96 career blocked shots rank fifth in UW history. He also shot 54.5 percent (104-of-191) from the field and 75.9 percent (44-of-58) from the free throw line.
