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MADISON, Wis. — Frank Kaminsky stood on a podium inside the Kohl Center next to a sea of teammates wearing red Big Ten championship T-shirts, hats and permanent grins Sunday afternoon. The celebration of Wisconsin's first regular-season conference title in seven years was only a few minutes old, and Kaminsky — between joyous hugs and cell phone selfies with the trophy — took time to address the crowd.
Ten months ago, he had a decision to make about whether to declare for the NBA Draft or return to school for his senior season. And as he mulled his decision, days like Sunday kept flooding his mind. How could he leave and miss all the fun of college? How could he not be a part of senior day, of a title-clinching performance as the centerpiece to a national championship contender? How would he ever forgive himself?
"This team is like a family to me," he told the fans. "They treat me terrible sometimes. But that's just how family is. I'm just so happy."
Kaminsky, the 7-foot, down-to-earth, goofball of the Badgers bunch, couldn't hide his delight. He quickly ducked into a tunnel and returned with a GoPro vest strapped to his chest — "something for the chronicles," he would later say.
And what an event it was to chronicle.
Kaminsky scored a season-high 31 points to help No. 5 Wisconsin ease past Michigan State 68-61 and clinch a share of the Big Ten crown on senior day, solidifying his status as the front-runner to win college basketball's national Player of the Year award. He connected on 11 of 17 field goals, including three 3-pointers, and added eight rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. The scoring performance was eclipsed only by his school-record 43-point game against North Dakota last season.
With two regular-season games remaining, the competition for Player of the Year likely has become a two-man race between Kaminsky and Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor. Okafor averages 18.2 points and 9.6 rebounds, while Kaminsky is averaging 18.1 points and 8.3 rebounds despite seven fewer offensive possessions per game on his team. But the more Kaminsky plays, the more people he convinces that he indeed stands alone.
Count Spartans coach Tom Izzo among that group. Izzo, in his 20th season as Michigan State's head coach, called Kaminsky the most impressive player in the Big Ten since Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson left Purdue back in 1994.
"I would like to give my early vote that Kaminsky is no question the best player in this country this year," Izzo said.
Earlier in the season, Okafor scored 17 points with five rebounds on 8-of-10 field-goal shooting during an 81-71 victory against Michigan State. Izzo, however, insisted Kaminsky's versatility separated him. His passing had improved, Izzo said, and his consistency as a 3-point shooter or as a back-to-basket player made him one-of-a-kind.
"There's nobody like him," Izzo said.
Kaminsky, as he has done so often this season, was a force from the outset Sunday. He drilled a pair of 3-pointers one minute apart and scored 11 of Wisconsin's first 19 points. He entered halftime with 18 points and five rebounds — a stat line most players would be plenty proud of for an entire game. But Kaminsky was only beginning.
During one short stretch in the second half as Michigan State attempted to surge back into the game, Kaminsky converted an off-balance fadeaway in the lane as the shot clock expired to give Wisconsin a 64-50 lead. He then drove baseline and banked in a jumper between two defenders for a 66-53 edge with 1:53 remaining in the game.
Minutes later, the buzzer sounded and Wisconsin's team (26-3, 14-2) climbed the stairs from the court into the Grateful Red student section for high-fives, walking through the concourse and descending for more slaps on the way toward the court again. Then came the trophy presentation on the podium, a video honoring the Badgers' four seniors — Kaminsky, Duje Dukan, Josh Gasser and Traevon Jackson — and a net cutting ceremony for players, coaches, managers and athletic department administrators.
When Kaminsky emerged for the postgame media session, he wore a backwards hat with a net strand tied to the strap.
"It was my last game here," he said. "I wanted to do something special."
Badgers coach Bo Ryan joked that Kaminsky could have been a late second-round pick if he'd left a year ago but instead decided to stay because he loved school. And on Sunday, Ryan noted Kaminsky "was not going to be denied."
"How about his footwork?" Ryan said. "He made moves today, I looked at Josh afterward. I said, 'He did some things today that I hadn't seen. And Josh said, 'Yeah, after I threw the ball to him, I found myself just standing there watching him.' I hope he's got more in the bag."
Added Gasser: "My job was easy. Get the ball to Frank, clear out, create space for him to go to work. Frank, he is the best player in the country. There's no doubt about it in my mind. Everyone else should just watch him play. He does everything for us, and tonight proved that."
Afterward, Kaminsky found himself in a reflective mood. He was asked if he had thought about what life would be like if he was not in Madison now. If he had declared for the draft, he very likely would be learning the ropes of the NBA life somewhere, grinding through the second night of a back-to-back road trip as a role player.
Instead, he spent his Sunday celebrating senior day and a conference championship while wearing a GoPro vest and loving every minute.
"It was the best decision I've ever made in my life," Kaminsky said. "It wasn't even much of a decision. It wasn't hard. I knew I wanted to come back to school here. It's days like this that reassure that decision."
