Relive 10 of Frank Kaminsky's most memorable games with the Wisconsin Badgers
Frank Kaminsky went from unheralded recruit to role player to star to national player of the year during his four-year career with the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball program.
Here are 10 of the most memorable games from his remarkable career.
BENCH MOB
UW 74, Illinois 68
Feb. 3, 2013
Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois
Kaminsky only averaged 1.8 points as a freshman and 4.2 points as a sophomore. His best game in that second season came against the Fighting Illini, a 19-point performance that included a 12-for-14 showing from the free throw line.
He had played 4 minutes in a loss earlier in the week at Ohio State and had missed the previous three games with a left eye injury.
“He was wearing goggles every game,” said UW assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft, who was a video coordinator on the 2012-13 team. “He invented the bench mob, because he was on the bench. Not saying that’s a knock on him or anything, but that’s where he was. No, I didn’t think he would be the national player of the year less than 24 months later.”
ON THE MAP
UW 103, North Dakota 85
Nov. 19, 2013
Kohl Center
Undoubtedly, this is the game that put Kaminsky on the map. Kaminsky, who entered the night averaging 8.7 points per game, set a single-game program record by scoring 43 points to help the Badgers top the 100-point mark for the first time in nearly 18 years.
Kaminsky was 16 of 19 from the field, including 6 of 6 from 3-point range, and 5 of 6 from the free throw line to top the previous UW record of 42 points shared by Ken Barnes (vs. Indiana on March 8, 1965) and Michael Finley (vs. Eastern Michigan on Dec. 10, 1994).
“I can’t really describe it,” Kaminsky said after the game. “It’s an awesome feeling. Looking back on the game now and being able to see the stats and everything, it just was an awesome game.”
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TAKEOVER
UW 75, Michigan 62
Feb. 16, 2014
Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Kaminsky registered his first career double-double, finishing with 25 points and 11 rebounds to help the Badgers knock off the No. 15 Wolverines.
UW never trailed and led the eventual Big Ten regular-season champs by as many as 18 points, but Michigan cut its deficit to 52-49 with 6:16 remaining. That’s when Kaminsky took over, scoring the Badgers’ next seven points.
Kaminsky finished with 10 points over the final 5:50 of the game.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen him that aggressive,” teammate Sam Dekker said. “He played really well. He was saying, ‘Hey guys, keep finding me.’ We were running plays (to) get him in the high post and take it at them. His one-on-one game was really good today and he was finishing strong.
“I think he realized he was 7-foot tall and he’s much closer to the hoop than the other guy. When he does that and things are feeling good, he looks good.”
OUTSTANDING OVERTIME
UW 64, Arizona 63 (OT)
March 29, 2014
Honda Center in Anaheim, California
Kaminsky had 28 points and 11 rebounds to help the Badgers edge the top-seeded Wildcats and get the Final Four monkey off Bo Ryan’s back.
A defensive grinder between two evenly matched teams was a one-possession game for the final 16:09, including overtime.
The difference was Kaminsky, who was name the Most Outstanding Player of the West region. He scored six of UW’s 10 points in overtime, including a hook shot over Arizona’s Kaleb Tarczewski with 2:21 left that gave the Badgers the lead for good.
BACK TO SAVE THE DAY
UW 69, Michigan 64 (OT)
Jan. 24, 2015
Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Kaminsky scored eight of his game-high 22 points in overtime to help the Badgers move into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten.
Two weeks earlier, Kaminsky was sidelined with a concussion and was forced to watch from the sidelines as UW blew a double-digit lead in the second half of a road loss at Rutgers.
The Badgers let a big lead slip away against Michigan, too, but this time Kaminsky could do something to save the day.
“Let’s face it, he’s one of the best players in the country and I don’t say that very often because I let other people judge,” UW coach Bo Ryan said. “Frank means a lot to this team.”
COMPLETE PERFORMANCE
UW 74, Iowa 63
Jan. 31, 2015
Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa
The Badgers had beaten the Hawkeyes by 32 points 11 days earlier in Madison, but they knew they’d get Iowa’s best shot this time around.
The Hawkeyes shot the lights out in the first half, but Kaminsky stepped up his defense in the second half and also finished with a game-high 24 points to go along with nine rebounds.
“We’re a good team, we’re one of the top teams in the country, but we haven’t really accomplished anything yet,” Kaminsky said afterward. “We have goals that come at the end of the season, not halfway through the season.”
SENIOR DAY SPECIAL
UW 68, Michigan State 61
March 1, 2015
Kohl Center
“It’s my last game here,” Kaminsky said of his mind-set on Senior Day, “and I wanted to do something special.”
Special doesn’t even begin to describe a performance that helped the Badgers clinch a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. He scored 31 points − a season high and the most he scored against a Big Ten opponent in his career − and added eight rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals in 37 minutes.
“If I wasn’t coaching against him,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said, “I would have started clapping.”
'CRAZY RIDE'
UW 76, Minnesota 63
March 5, 2015
Williams Arena in Minneapolis
Kaminsky produced 25 points and a career-high seven assists to help the Badgers clinch the Big Ten regular-season title outright with a win over the Golden Gophers.
The previous season at Williams Arena, Kaminsky was limited to 15 minutes because of foul trouble as the Badgers dropped an 81-68 decision. This time, he barely came off the floor − he played more than 39 minutes − and finished 10 of 15 from the field.
“It’s been a crazy ride,” Kaminsky said. “It’s been fun. To win it in a rivalry game, on Minnesota’s court with so many of our own fans here, is just something pretty special.”
SENSATIONAL DUO
UW 85, Arizona 78
March 28, 2015
Staples Center in Los Angeles
While Sam Dekker stole the show in the Badgers’ second consecutive Elite Eight victory over the Wildcats − he scored 20 of his 27 points after halftime to be named Most Outstanding Player of the West region − Kaminsky was sensational as well.
Kaminsky scored 16 of his game-high 29 points after halftime, including eight during a 14-3 run that helped UW turn a three-point halftime deficit into a 44-36 lead.
“I was a little out of control in the first half, throwing up some wild shots, trying to play too fast, trying to make everything,” Kaminsky said. “I just knew I had to calm down in the second half and work through my teammates and work through my teammates and work within the offense and try to figure out what we needed to do to push out the lead.”
SEMIFINAL SHOCKER
UW 71, Kentucky 64
April 4, 2015
Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
Kaminsky scored a game-high 20 points as the Badgers shocked the Wildcats in a national semifinal, ending Kentucky’s hopes of finishing the season with a 40-0 record.
Two of the biggest points for Kaminsky came from the free throw line with 24.5 seconds left, conversions that gave UW a 66-63 lead.
Two days later, the Badgers’ title hopes − and Kaminsky’s career − ended with a 68-63 loss to Duke in the championship game.
“It’s tough to say anything right now,” Kaminsky said after finishing with 21 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to the Blue Devils. “These guys are my family, and I mean that literally. I don’t mean that hypothetically. I’ve never been closer to a group of guys in my entire life, from the coaching staff on down to every single player on this team. It’s just going to be hard to say good-bye.”
Most Popular
Read through the obituaries published today in Lake Geneva Regional News.
Read through the obituaries published today in Lake Geneva Regional News.
Read through the obituaries published today in Lake Geneva Regional News.
Read through the obituaries published today in Lake Geneva Regional News.
Read through the obituaries published today in Lake Geneva Regional News.
From Tribune files: These photos showcase the history of our region and feature many familiar places and faces.
Read through the obituaries published today in Lake Geneva Regional News.
Four area organizations recently received a $2,500 donation as part of VISIT Lake Geneva’s Restaurant Week Charity Check program. During Resta…
Get a quick digest of today's top local news stories from Lake Geneva Regional News.
Read through the obituaries published today in Lake Geneva Regional News.
