By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Almost an hour had passed since the Iowa men’s basketball team had pulled off the miracle in Madison late Thursday night, and yet there still was no sign of Jordan Bohannon.

Members of his family, including older brothers Jason and Zach, kept waiting and waiting for Bohannon to emerge from the victorious locker room, but he never showed.

The Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., was almost empty following Iowa’s 59-57 victory over Wisconsin when a family member finally asked Iowa administrative assistant Kyle Denning if he could check on Iowa’s freshman point guard.

Denning called Bohannon’s cell phone and learned that he already was on the team bus.

“He was like, I’m sorry I was on the bus I didn’t know that you were still here,” Zach Bohannon said. “So he came back just for a minute or two and said hello to all of us as we walked out. So we were literally the last ones in the stadium of all the fans.”

“We were getting shoved out the door by security. And if it wasn’t for them recognizing me and Jason, we probably would have been on the street.”

The Bohannon clan always speaks with Jordan after home and away games before leaving the arena. They were especially eager to chat with him after Thursday’s victory in order to congratulate Jordan on his game-winning 3-point basket.

But they weren’t alone as reporters flocked to Bohannon for post-game interviews. He first appeared with Iowa coach Fran McCaffery at the post-game press conference before doing several one-on-one interviews.

So in this case, it’s easy to see why Bohannon forgot about his family in the glare of the media spotlight.

Thursday night was unusual before, during and after the game because of the special circumstances.

It’s not often that two older brothers get to watch their younger brother beat the team they used to play for in college.

Zach Bohannon and Jason Bohannon both played for Wisconsin and considered the Kohl Center a home away from the family’s home in Marion, at least until Thursday.

As satisfying as it was to watch their younger brother make the game-winning shot on Thursday, the circumstances were awkward and strange. The Bohannon family has been emotionally attached to the Wisconsin program for over a decade, ever since oldest brother Jason committed to the Badgers.

“Obviously, you always hear from the loudest voices on either side of the political aisle as I’ve come to know from previous experience,” Zach Bohannon said. “I’ve gotten a lot of flack from a few people on social media calling me a traitor and saying how dare Zach Bohannon and Jason Bohannon sit behind the Iowa bench wearing Iowa colors.”

Zach wanted to set the record straight about him and Jason both supposedly wearing Iowa colors to Thursday’s game.

“For the record, I was wearing jeans and a black-colored shirt with a suit jacket over it,” Zach said. “So it wasn’t like I was specifically wearing Iowa colors. There was no gold whatsoever and it wasn’t like I had a Hawkeye on my clothes.

“But with that said, all these people were calling me a traitor and saying that he played for UW why would he ever think about cheering for Iowa coming back to the Kohl Center? That just shows how he has no class and no integrity.”

Zach was careful not to paint his alma mater’s fan base with a broad brush because he and Jason also received plenty of positive feedback from Badger fans and from some of the current Wisconsin players.

“It was funny seeing the other people stick up and say actually him coming back and cheering for his brother after all that he gave to Wisconsin is the epitome of what class is,” Zach said in reference Jason Bohannon, who was a standout shooting guard for the Badgers from 2006-10. “So it was nice to have some other people who stuck up for us.”

Jordan Bohannon’s game-winning shot extended Iowa’s winning streak to three games and improved its record to 17-13 overall and 9-8 in the Big Ten

Iowa will face Penn State in the season finale on Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Wisconsin, on the other hand, has lost five of its last six games.

But that still didn’t stop some of the Wisconsin players, including Zak Showalter and Bronson Koenig, from reaching out to both Zach and Jason Bohannon before and after Thursday’s game.

“It was fun and nice to get back to the Kohl Center,” Zach Bohannon said. “I know right when we walked out there to our seats right behind the Iowa bench, a bunch of my former teammates, including Zak Showalter, came up and gave me a hug or gave my mom a hug and said it’s great seeing you guys here.

“So even my former teammates understood what was going on with where I was sitting and what not. And then even afterwards I got a text from Zak saying that kid can play in regard to my brother. And then Bronson Koenig texted me and said “damn Bohannon.’”

School spirit and loyalty is one thing. Blood is another.

Thursday’s game was more a case of Zach and Jason cheering for their little brother more than cheering against Wisconsin. They’re proud to be former Badgers, but that doesn’t equal brotherly love.

Zach has attended every one of Jordan’s game this season, a promise he made to Jordan before the season.

Zach also has stayed positive during a season filled with peaks and valleys. Over the last 12 games, Iowa has lost three in a row, won three in a row, lost three in a row and won three in a row.

The current three-game winning streak is special because it’s happening now and because two of the three victories came against ranked opponents Wisconsin and Maryland.

“I think somehow they’re going to find a way to the NCAA Tournament,” Zach Bohannon said.

Pride also played a big role for Jordan Bohannon in Thursday’s game.

He wanted to show the Wisconsin coaches that they made a mistake by not offering him a scholarship. The Badgers weren’t alone, though, as hardly any Division I schools offered Jordan a scholarship.

Jordan picked Iowa over scholarship offers from Northern Iowa, DePaul, Drake and South Dakota State. Texas Tech also came in late, but didn’t offer a scholarship. Jordan's decision to be a Hawkeye reunited his family with the school from which his father, Gordy Bohannon, graduated and played quarterback for Iowa's 1982 Rose Bowl team.

The Wisconsin coaches reportedly had concerns that Jordan wasn’t athletic enough to deserve a scholarship. That was a slap in the face to a kid who grew up cheering for the Badgers and interacting with players and coaches.

Jordan only stands 6-feet tall and isn't overly quick. But he is a gifted shooter who makes wise decisions on court and who doesn't get intimidated by his surroundings, no matter how awkward it might be.

"I can't tell you how many times I've been here, a lot of weekends and week nights traveling here and seeing my brothers play, " Jordan Bohannon said of the Kohl Center. "So this game kind of meant more to me, especially since I was overlooked in the recruiting process. A lot of people doubted me, but coach McCaffery was one of the ones that believed in my abilities. So this was another game that I wanted to prove myself to everyone out there that I can do this at the Big Ten level."

McCaffery was seated next to Bohannon during Thursday’s post-game press conference, which is sort of symbolic, considering how McCaffery stuck with him during the recruiting process.

McCaffery is now being rewarded for his loyalty and for his ability to evaluate talent.

“From my perspective, I just started watching a kid when he was in eighth grade, seventh grade and just fell in love with his game,” McCaffery said. “He consistently makes the kinds of plays that you saw him make tonight. He just never rattles. He’s constantly making those kinds of tough plays that you want him to make.

“It doesn’t always happen for young players. Sometimes, it takes time."

It also helps to have the support of your family. Jordan Bohannon has that for every game whether he remembers or not.