Jarrod Uthoff was once thought to be a rising star in the Wisconsin basketball program, but that all changed when he fled Wisconsin for the even flatter homeland of Iowa following the 2011-12 season.
After the transfer fiasco that left both Uthoff and Bo Ryan worse for the wear, Uthoff became public enemy No. 1 in Badger circles. The episode served to reignite this particular border rivalry just as much as the Hawkeyes sweeping the Badgers the previous season did.
Then a funny thing happened. Due to transferring within the Big Ten without a release, Uthoff was ineligible last season. That meant he could not even travel with the team and therefore didn't make the trip with Iowa last February when the Hawks played in Madison.
Sunday marks Uthoff's return to the Kohl Center. He's now an eligible redshirt sophomore, averaging 10.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
Wisconsin has moved on, contending for last year's league title and starting this season 14-0. It has watched Nigel Hayes, one of its recruits from the 2013 class which benefited from Uthoff's vacated scholarship, blossom into a future star.
For his part, Uthoff won't be doing interviews leading up to Sunday night's game, but seems to have adjusted just fine to being back home in a sixth man role. His time out of the spotlight tempered the bad blood somewhat, but it could all come bubbling to the surface the first time Uthoff checks into the game.
So what say you, Badger Nation, about poor Uthoff? Love him, hate him, or indifferent?