Badgers Recall Wisconsin's 2000 Final Four Moments

MADISON, Wis. -- Before Wisconsin defeated Ohio State on Sunday afternoon, three members of the 2000 Final Four team reminisced about memories from that season inside the Kohl Center media room.

The program, led by legendary head coach Dick Bennett, compiled a 22-14 record during that 1999-2000 campaign. After a 61-44 loss at home to Michigan State on Feb. 19, the team pulled off three consecutive victories to close out the regular season and won two more conference tournament games.

Wisconsin claimed a No. 8 seed in the West region, then capped off the season by winning four straight games in the NCAA Tournament to reach the Final Four, all before ultimately falling to Michigan State yet again -- this time in Indianapolis.

Former forward Andy Kowske and guards Roy Boone and Mike Kelley were asked about one moment that stood out to each of them from that season.

Boone, the Madison East product who scored 18 points in the national semifinal loss to Michigan State, discussed the bond of the team.

"The relationship we had as a group, how everybody just bought in for one common goal. That was important," Boone said. "Just the other night, just to get with these guys and just reminisce and talk about basketball and what everybody’s doing now, it's just great.”

At first, Kelley, the school's all-time leader in steals (275), looked at that four-game winning streak during March Madness.

“If I can cheat, I guess I would say that run, those four games, those four wins that we had," Kelley said. "Looking back on it, I think it really allowed fans, the players, the coaching staff to wrap their arms around what it would take for our program to be successful. Because prior to that, while we had some success, we also had many failures as well. It's a style that some people don't like, but I think when you get some success, you can now rely on that and use it to build upon.

“For us, it was great because it validated what Coach Bennett had been teaching us and showed us that it can be done that way. I think it's the best way in particular for this university, based on where it's located and their recruiting base, to continue to have sustained success. So that was huge because that was the first time we really saw it on a major stage, and the line that's been used was when we made that run, that guaranteed Wisconsin would never be a Cinderella again. We didn't know it at the time, but that validated this style in that way. That was a big deal for us."

A UW official proceeded to tell Kelley he was, in fact, cheating.

“Well then the best moment was Camp Randall (Stadium) when we got to go back," Kelley said.

“Wassap," Boone interjected.

The players referred to the warm reception from fans upon returning to Madison after clinching the Final Four berth in Albuquerque with a 64-60 win over Purdue in the West Regional final. Guard Jon Bryant was named West Region MVP while both Kelley and Kowske claimed All-West regional honors.

UW listed the event as one of its "Camp Randall 100" moments where 30,000-plus fans gave the Badgers a heroes' welcome.

“Yeah, that was the Bud Light commercial when it dropped the ‘What’s up’ line," Kelley said. "We all took a turn at the mic, and I think we all did our best to try to tell all the students that we need to go back to State Street and riot. I'm surprised they let us all have the microphone, but that's what we did.

"We were sort of successful.”

For Kowske -- who according to SportsReference.com, averaged 9.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a junior on that 1999-2000 team -- he thinks about Bennett and his legacy.

From 1996-2000, Bennett finished his time at UW with a 94-68 record (.580 winning percentage), three berths in the NCAA Tournament, and that Final Four achievement.

"He was a very successful coach," Kowske said. "He went to Green Bay, and he went to the NCAA Tournament a couple times and came to Wisconsin. Before we got there, he got back to the NCAA tournament and stabilized the program. I think about him and getting to the Final Four was special for Coach Bennett.

"One of the great memories was our pregame speech against Purdue. We had a theme that year of 'Touch the Dream,' and Coach weaved that theme into the pregame speech, and you could hear a pin drop on the floor. He was emotional, and that sticks out as one of the best memories. Then going out and winning that game and getting to the Final Four, which I think helped validate how successful and how good of a coach Coach Bennett was.”