Maybe the Penn State fans booed him because he triggered memories of the good old days when the Nittany Lions advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2001.

There haven't been any reminders of that glorious run as of late, except an inactive Jamaal Tate, who sits at the end of the bench.

Maybe they booed Sharif Chambliss because he's now playing for No. 18 Wisconsin as opposed to an unranked Penn State squad.

The fans probably consistently and loudly booed Chambliss, the Badgers point guard, from the first time he touched the ball up until the final minutes because that's what fans are supposed to do when a promising athlete transfers.

"That was tough love," Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. "How can you dislike Sharif Chambliss? One of the nicest guys, seriously. Anybody in that crowd that knows Sharif probably just did it because it's the thing to do when somebody transfers. He's a class act."

The last time the Badgers and the Lions met and Chambliss was involved, the then-Penn State shooting guard played an important role. As a Lion, Chambliss made five 3-pointers and scored 20 points in Penn State's 51-49 victory on Jan. 9, 2002. In the Lions' 58-57 win over the Badgers on Feb. 19, 2003, the guard hit four 3-pointers and notched 16 points.

In the Badgers' 76-50 win over the Lions on Saturday, Chambliss said he wasn't fazed by the not-so-warm welcome from the crowd of 9,142. He finished with seven points, four assists and a steal in 29 minutes of play.

"All the sentimental stuff went out the door as soon as the ball was in play," Chambliss said. "It felt a little weird at first going to the visitors' locker room, but I'm happy with all my decisions and playing for Wisconsin."

Chambliss transferred to Wisconsin in 2003 after leading Penn State in scoring during his sophomore and junior seasons. Because he transferred to another Division I school, Chambliss was forced to redshirt last season and forfeit a scholarship in compliance with NCAA rules.

Chambliss recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which he suffered in March, in time for the start of the season. Because point guard Devin Harris left Wisconsin after his junior season and entered the NBA Draft, and point guard Boo Wade left the team this season, Chambliss fit perfectly into the Badgers' lineup. He earned a starting role at the point, a desired position he didn't often play at Penn State. Chambliss is averaging 9.1 points per game this season.

The Racine, Wisc., native said he's satisfied with his decision and enjoys every day at Wisconsin. He likes being close to home and having his family and friends attend home games. He still follows Penn State and keeps in contact with Penn State forward Jason McDougald and center Kevin Fellows. He also said he wishes Penn State nothing but the best, but he couldn't say the same for Saturday.

"Call it what you call it, me and my team came here to get a win and that's what we did," he said.