Somebody hit somebody
Hauser brothers Sam and Joey set the college basketball world on fire last week announcing they are leaving Marquette. Sam, a junior, and Joey, a freshman, will both sit out a year during the transfer process and are reportedly visiting Virginia, Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan State.
With the expectations going into next season for Marquette, this is a huge moment to begin the college basketball offseason with a bang. While this changes a lot nationally, it cannot be understated what this would do for the Wisconsin-Marquette rivalry if the Hausers land with the Badgers.
I am increasingly convinced Wisconsin will be the way to go for these fellas. If that happens, this will ignite a massive flame to the Wisconsin-Marquette rivalry to an extent we have never seen. We might get a few big brother, little brother comments, but there is not enough hatred in this series to make it a true big-time rivalry.
What is a big-time rivalry you may ask. A big-time rivalry means you get to a point where you’d much rather punch an opposing fan in the face and insult their family members than say hello to them. The Hausers could certainly get us all closer to that being a reality.
There are still quite a few lunatics out there in this state that may have a preference between Wisconsin and Marquette but still cheer for both. Hoping your direct competitor for recruits does well is something I do not understand. I want Wisconsin to win every game. I would like for Marquette to lose every game. Marquette being irrelevant would mean good things for the Badgers.
But if Sam and Joey Hauser are wearing the cardinal and white with the Badgers in the 2020-21 season, fans have no choice but to pick a side, especially if you lean the Marquette way.
Sad Marquette fans
If you are a Marquette fan, no matter how bad this season ended you had to have huge expectations for next year with the entire starting five coming back. ESPN even had Marquette as the second-ranked team in the country in its Way Too Early Top 25.
With the Hauser brothers and Markus Howard returning, next season would have been what Marquette fans had been waiting for since its Final Four run with Dwayne Wade.
With a deep run in the postseason, Steve Wojciechowski would’ve seen his first major success as a head coach. Instead, he should be squarely on the hot seat moving forward. Wojo missed the NCAA Tournament in three of his five years at Marquette and has not won a March Madness game.
This had to make Marquette fans sick to their stomach hearing the news with what was possible next season. And for two of their best players potentially moving to their in-state rival - absolutely devastating.
Happy Greg Gard
And for Wisconsin, this would change a whole lot about the way fans think of Greg Gard. He missed out on in-state recruit Tyler Herro, who committed for more than a year before de-committing for Kentucky. Instead of Herro, the Badgers signed couple big man prospects and Tai Strickland, who already left the team.
And the Badgers did not go after Sam Hauser, which led to Joey not being interested in Wisconsin. This was not Gard’s fault as this was a Bo Ryan decision.
Landing the Hauser brothers would change a lot of strong opinions on Gard moving forward. With the decision of star in-state recruit Jalen Johnson coming, this is a pivotal moment for Wisconsin as fans continue to prove they cheer for the best college basketball program in the state.
Madison connections
Will they go to the Badgers? A lot of signs point to yes. The two are friends with Wisconsin player Trevor Anderson, whose dad was their high school coach. Sam’s girlfriend plays volleyball at Wisconsin. The Badgers have plenty of scholarships to give out.
Also, the Hausers’ father Dave played basketball at Minnesota-Duluth with Brad Davison’s father. That should be enough, right? Okay, that one might be a stretch.
Keep in mind, Davison popped the younger Hauser in the testicles last season. If a guy takes a punch to the nuts and decides to play alongside the nut puncher a few months later, that alone can start a rivalry.
It could be a wild next few years in the annual Wisconsin-Marquette series. If you haven’t done so already, it might be time to pick a side.
Awesome photo courtesy of UWBadgers.com
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