This story originally appeared in the Nov. 19, 2016, issue of Sports Illustrated. Subscribe to the magazine here. And watch Wisconson take on Marquette on Fox Sports 1 or Fox Sports Go on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.
They had traveled more than 100 miles to visit with him for just a few minutes, but he had no desire to talk, no idea what to say. Still, his mother had asked him to follow through on his commitment, so Bronson Koenig walked into a small conference room at the Holiday Inn in Lincoln, Neb.