Mike Wilkinson, one of the cornerstones of the successful Bo Ryan era at the University of Wisconsin, is back in the state after sustaining a knee injury playing for a basketball team in Russia.

Wilkinson, a prep standout at Wisconsin Heights, was part of Badgers teams that posted 93 victories from 2001-05 and claimed two regular-season Big Ten titles and one postseason league crown, along with two Sweet 16 appearances.

He ranks in the Top 10 in program history in 11 categories including scoring, rebounding, games played, steals and blocked shots.

Capital Times reporter Shawn Doherty chatted with Wilkinson outside Camp Randall Stadium as she was conducting interviews for a story published Saturday about whether Penn State fans felt they were being treated well on enemy turf prior to the football game at Wisconsin.

The overall reaction: Absolutely.

Wilkinson and his wife, Alexis Schrubbe, offered some personal perspective on whether Badgers fans are too rough on opposing fans.

Wilkinson said that the fans in Europe are much more aggressive. He's had eggs thrown at him in Athens, he said, as well as hot coins that fans had heated up with lighters. Angry fans from an opposing team even burned up a teammate's car in Italy, he said.

Wilkinson summed up the experience succinctly: "It's crazy over there."

Schrubbe said that while in college, she received death threats from some University of Michigan fans.

When she was dating Wilkinson, she was a member of the UW Marching Band and would often sing the National Anthem at his games and got a lot of face time on TV. In response, she got hate mail.

"People from Michigan tracked me down and called my home and my house mother and threatened to kill me," she said.

For more of this article -- and to view a photo gallery of fans of both Wisconsin and Penn State tailgating near the stadium -- click here.