It's been an incredible 24 hours for the Wisconsin Badgers. After upsetting No. 1-overall seed Kentucky on Saturday, the Badgers returned to their hotel with a lobby full of screaming Wisconsin faithful.
So, heading into the national championship game against the Duke Blue Devils on Monday, with the prospect of winning the first national title in program history in 74 years, did the players show any signs of stress, fatigue or even deer-in-headlights at Sunday's press conference?
Nope.
What a surprise. Wisconsin's players are waiting to approach the press conference podium. And all anyone can hear from them is laughter.
— Jesse Temple (@jessetemple) April 5, 2015
Its @tmj4 photog Jim Angeli's video of @NIGEL_HAYES riding to presser. We'll show you hilarity at 10:20 #Badgers pic.twitter.com/19kCuzrpdd
— Lance Allan (@lanceallan) April 6, 2015
Waiting for the press conference and we can hear the #Badgers before even seeing them. Lots of laughing and joking.
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) April 5, 2015
Bo Ryan jokes my guys are too tense. Can't you tell? #yeahright #Badgers
— Lance Allan (@lanceallan) April 5, 2015
Pretty confident that the entire assembled media is afraid to ask any of the players a question in this press conference.
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) April 5, 2015
I'm almost positive Wisconsin's players are sitting up here while Bo answers questions and making fun of how media members look. Weird team.
— Jesse Temple (@jessetemple) April 5, 2015
Here's a glance, through Twitter, of the low-key and fun-loving Badgers talking to the media on Sunday.
Andrew Harrison situation
The media did ask senior forward Frank Kaminsky about Harrison's words and apology thereafter.
Frank on Andrew Harrison comments: "He reached out to me. We talked about it. Over it. Nothing needs to be made of it" #Badgers
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) April 5, 2015
Frank Kaminsky says he spoke with A. Harrison about his comments last night. Says he's over it & no one should be making a big deal of it.
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) April 5, 2015
Nigel Hayes talked about Andrew Harrison's comments. He didn't condone. But said: "Those things are said on the court all the time."
— Jesse Temple (@jessetemple) April 5, 2015
Nigel Hayes: "I don't speak non-G-rated. I say 'F word' instead of the actual F word."
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) April 5, 2015
Facing Duke
Josh Gasser on 1st Duke game. "They got into a rhythm & we let them get into a rhythm. They just kept it going & we couldn’t stop them."
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) April 5, 2015
Gasser on having no McDonalds All-Americans: "It doesn’t matter where you were when you were 16,17 years old, it matters where you are now."
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) April 5, 2015
Ryan on Coach K: "I've watched him grow in the profession. He didn't have instant success there. He just kept working through it." #Badgers
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) April 5, 2015
Bo Ryan on matching up with Jahlil Okafor: "He'd kill me."
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) April 5, 2015
Frank Kaminsky made my day quoting the great @RicFlairNatrBoy when asked about Okafor "To be the best you gotta beat the best" #Badgers #Woo
— Lance Allan (@lanceallan) April 5, 2015
Sam Dekker: "It’s the game. It’s the last game. I don’t think you should be thinking about anything else."
— Zack Miller (@miller_zack) April 5, 2015
Josh on national title for #B1G: "We've had some really good teams in this league over the years. But it's about us and what we can do"
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) April 5, 2015
Answering the tough questions
Frank on how he became "The Man": "I wasn't prepared for a question of this magnitude. Do you want an intellectual answer?" #Badgers
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) April 5, 2015
I asked Frank Kaminsky what his plans were for tonight. Response: "FIFA." His goal is to move up from 4th on the team. @FSKPart3
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) April 5, 2015
The Nigel Hayes "Word of the Press Conference"
Cc: @dictionarycom. RT @NicoleAuerbach: Nigel Hayes' word of the day: logorrhea. pic.twitter.com/kd1yctmSp7
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) April 5, 2015
The media loves the Badgers
The national media now knows how savvy the Badgers are.
You haven't lived until you've attended a Wisconsin press conference. pic.twitter.com/2uNKFkqI32
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 5, 2015
Duke. All business. Wisconsin. Joking around and just having fun.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) April 5, 2015
These Wisconsin guys just enjoy the moment in a different manner than most. All they do is laugh, rip on one another and have fun.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) April 5, 2015
Watch as the wild badgers examine the human technology that has entered their natural habitat. pic.twitter.com/9jRNI6T21e
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 5, 2015
Nigel Hayes is so good at press conferences some FBS athletic director is going to hire him as their football coach.
— Paul Myerberg (@PaulMyerberg) April 5, 2015
This Wisconsin team has never lost a press conference. Unbeaten, untied, unblemished.
— Paul Myerberg (@PaulMyerberg) April 5, 2015