Lucky number 7

Maybe it's the lousy 30-52 Big Ten record the women's basketball team has sufffered the last five years.

Or perhaps bringing in Kathi Bennett as an assistant in the offseason in what many people thought would eventually become Bennett's next head coaching gig.

Of course, the stern offseason chat with Barry Alvarez, who is not only king of the athletic department, but still remains highly perched on the entire isthmus, was probably a pretty good indication to kick it in gear for Lisa Stone's sixth season.

But whatever Stone's motivation is, she should bottle it up and sell it this season. The Badgers are off to an impressive 7-1 mark, but oddly and sadly enough the seven straight wins are just the sixth time that's happened in school history.

Think about that.

Last year the Badger women played 30 games and they weren't able to string together seven straight.

This year, they've managed the winning streak thanks in part to a pair of Baylor missed free throws with under a second left against the No. 6 Bears in the Virgin Islands.

Given the track record, I'm going to need more evidence to sell me on this team. And lucky for us, Exhibit A is a date with Minnesota on Dec. 29 at the Kohl Center. Win that game and the Badgers will be in the Big Ten title discussion.