Playing in his final game at the Kohl Center, senior forward Jon Leuer went out in style, carrying the Wisconsin men's basketball team to a 78-63 victory over Northwestern with a 26-point, six rebound performance.
Though Northwestern (6-11 Big Ten, 16-12 overall) trailed for all but the first possession, the game became one of the Badger's more difficult second half tests as the Wildcats shot their way back from a 16-point deficit to cut the lead to just three with 7:14 left.
"If they're hitting tough shots, it's hard to defend it no matter what," senior forward Keaton Nankivil said. "So building that cushion makes a big difference."
But when as it seemed things were slipping away from UW (12-4 , 22-6), its seniors erased any thoughts of what would have been a monumental collapse. Right after Northwestern junior forward John Shurna hit a three-pointer to cut the Badger lead to three, Leuer responded with a hook shot to give the Badgers a cushion.
After junior guard Jordan Taylor's triple was countered with two Wildcat free throws, a crucial second chance opportunity resulted in a three-point play from Nankivil that pushed the UW advantage to nine points, giving them a comfortable lead they would not relinquish.
"They made their run, they did the same thing last year," Taylor said. "I just felt like we were always in control, especially the way Jon was playing."
With Northwestern shooting better than 50 percent from three-point range, UW's ability to dominate inside proved crucial. While the official tally of points in the paint gave the Badgers just a 10-8 advantage, Wisconsin clearly had control of the post, evidenced fairly clearly in the numbers Leuer put up.
"I thought our guys, especially Jon, did a good job of scoring in the post," UW head coach Bo Ryan said after the win. "He didn't rush things."
The Wildcats finished with four players in double digits, but that would be the only scoring they could manage. Even though the trio of Shurna, junior forward Davide Curletti and senior guard Michael Thompson combined for 51 points, the lack of a bona fide support cast proved to be the difference, and the four hot hands that kept NU in it ran out of gas.
As the Badgers hit the road for games at Indiana and No. 2 Ohio State to close out the regular season, they know they have plenty of work left ahead of them in order to finish off the season the way they want to.
But after completing only the third perfect home slate in the last 80 years of Wisconsin basketball, there is a sense of pride in what has already been accomplished.
"When we are at the Kohl Center, we don't plan on losing ever," Leuer said. "One of the goals we had was to always protect our home court and we were able to do that so lets check that one off the list."
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Home Perfection on the Line
After a dramatic road victory over Michigan Wednesday night, the No. 12 Badgers are now preparing for Northwestern, the season's final visitor to the Kohl Center this Sunday.
For Wisconsin, now having won 18 straight at home and currently holding a 15-0 record at the Kohl Center this season, the Wildcats are all that stands between their third undefeated home schedule in the last 80 seasons.
While Northwestern has struggled in Big Ten play, they have one of the more high-powered offenses in the conference, averaging 73.1 points per game (third in the Big Ten) and a noteworthy 9.2 3-point field goals per contest, fifth most in the nation and first in the conference.
Led by formidable offensive weapons in senior guard Michael Thompson and junior forward John Shurna, the Wildcats are certainly a danger on the offensive end. Northwestern made this apparent in their victory over Illinois and near-wins over Michigan State and then-undefeated OSU this season.
However, the Wildcats have been notoriously bad on the road and are well placed among the ranks of teams who have struggled in Madison. Northwestern is 0-11 all time at the Kohl Center.
Since road wins to start the season (against Northern Illinois and Texas-Pan American) the Wildcats are 2-7 away from Evanston, those wins coming against Big Ten bottom dwellers Iowa and Indiana.
Still, even with an infamously bad record in Evanston, the Badgers flew through Welsh-Ryan Arena earlier this year with a sound drubbing of a then-tourney hopeful Wildcat squad, winning the Jan. 23 contest 78-46.
While plenty of teams, including stalwarts Michigan State and Ohio State, have failed to beat Bo Ryan in Madison, Northwestern's losses have been notoriously lopsided, coming at an average of over 18.5 points per game.
On the Wisconsin side, Sunday's matchup is solely about keeping the good vibes flowing. Despite a fairly lackluster performance against Michigan, freshman guard Josh Gasser's buzzer-beating three-point shot got UW out of Ann Arbor with a win and kept the momentum flowing and hopes at a Big Ten title, while perhaps far-fetched, still intact.
"Road games in general are just tough to win," Gasser said. "At this point in the season, you just try to win any way you can."
But Sunday's final home game carries much more weight for a Badger team hoping to send their six seniors, including starters Keaton Nankivil and Jon Leuer, out with a bang.
"It's going to be their last crack at it, so I'm just going to do whatever I can to help them get where they want to be," Gasser added. "It's going to be a big day for them and I'm just going to try to enjoy it with them."
With another road test against Indiana to follow before the big finale in Columbus, a solid win is virtually a must on Sunday evening for a Wisconsin team desperate to head out onto the road riding high.
For Wisconsin, now having won 18 straight at home and currently holding a 15-0 record at the Kohl Center this season, the Wildcats are all that stands between their third undefeated home schedule in the last 80 seasons.
While Northwestern has struggled in Big Ten play, they have one of the more high-powered offenses in the conference, averaging 73.1 points per game (third in the Big Ten) and a noteworthy 9.2 3-point field goals per contest, fifth most in the nation and first in the conference.
Led by formidable offensive weapons in senior guard Michael Thompson and junior forward John Shurna, the Wildcats are certainly a danger on the offensive end. Northwestern made this apparent in their victory over Illinois and near-wins over Michigan State and then-undefeated OSU this season.
However, the Wildcats have been notoriously bad on the road and are well placed among the ranks of teams who have struggled in Madison. Northwestern is 0-11 all time at the Kohl Center.
Since road wins to start the season (against Northern Illinois and Texas-Pan American) the Wildcats are 2-7 away from Evanston, those wins coming against Big Ten bottom dwellers Iowa and Indiana.
Still, even with an infamously bad record in Evanston, the Badgers flew through Welsh-Ryan Arena earlier this year with a sound drubbing of a then-tourney hopeful Wildcat squad, winning the Jan. 23 contest 78-46.
While plenty of teams, including stalwarts Michigan State and Ohio State, have failed to beat Bo Ryan in Madison, Northwestern's losses have been notoriously lopsided, coming at an average of over 18.5 points per game.
On the Wisconsin side, Sunday's matchup is solely about keeping the good vibes flowing. Despite a fairly lackluster performance against Michigan, freshman guard Josh Gasser's buzzer-beating three-point shot got UW out of Ann Arbor with a win and kept the momentum flowing and hopes at a Big Ten title, while perhaps far-fetched, still intact.
"Road games in general are just tough to win," Gasser said. "At this point in the season, you just try to win any way you can."
But Sunday's final home game carries much more weight for a Badger team hoping to send their six seniors, including starters Keaton Nankivil and Jon Leuer, out with a bang.
"It's going to be their last crack at it, so I'm just going to do whatever I can to help them get where they want to be," Gasser added. "It's going to be a big day for them and I'm just going to try to enjoy it with them."
With another road test against Indiana to follow before the big finale in Columbus, a solid win is virtually a must on Sunday evening for a Wisconsin team desperate to head out onto the road riding high.
Bank Bails Out Badgers
As the final seconds ticked off the clock Wednesday night in Crisler Arena, the only sound heard was the blare of the final horn. And then shock rang through the air. The Michigan faithful fell silent as freshman Josh Gasser's three-pointer sailed through the basket, propelling the Wisconsin men's basketball team to a stunning 53-52 victory.
"I knew it was banking in right away." Gasser said. "When it was in the air, I called it."
The Badgers have been walking a fine line all year long on the road. Against the Wolverines, Gasser's three-pointer as time expired propelled the Badgers (11-4 Big Ten, 21-6 overall) to yet another come from behind victory.
"I knew he was gonna get a shot off," junior point guard Jordan Taylor said. "Josh is a tough kid and I knew he was gonna give it a good shot."
Gasser scored the final five points for UW Wednesday night with his last basket the biggest as UW walked out of Ann Arbor with the Badger's third come back victory of the season.
"I've had some buzzer-beaters in my life, but not on a stage like this," Gasser said. "And I've certainly never banked in a winning three before."
Junior point guard Jordan Taylor scored 11 of his game-high 20 points in the first half. He also contributed five assists, the fifth coming on Gasser's game winner after the Wolverines (7-9, 17-12). doubled Taylor on the right wing off an inbounds play with five seconds left in regulation.
"Taylor is so talented, I think we'd all agree," Michigan head coach John Beilein said. "We've seen a lot of point guards come into Crisler, that guy's gotta be at the top of your list of guys you've seen recently that are efficient."
Senior forward Jon Leuer scored just two points in the second half, but recorded his eighth career double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in 37 minutes of play.
UW struggled defending Michigan's sets at times in the first half and saw the Wolverines take a one-point lead heading into halftime on a pick-and-roll lay-up by Evan Smotrycz.
A minor shooting slump slowed UW down going into the second half. Leuer started the half with his final bucket of the night, but the Badgers then missed six straight shots. To Wisconsin's advantage, Michigan also came out cold in the second half and the Badgers remained within striking distance throughout the first five minutes.
After senior forward Keaton Nankivil ended the drought with two quick buckets, UW traded baskets with the Wolverines as the two saw three lead changes and no lead exceeding four points the entire rest of the half.
"We got a lot of resilient guys on our team," Taylor said. "Nobody on our team had the best game of their lives tonight, but we found a way to win."
The Badgers relied on Leuer, Taylor and Nankivil who combined for 45 of the Badger's 53 total points.
Although Wisconsin committed five costly turnovers, they were able to force Michigan into 11 and were able to score 18 points off of the Wolverines carelessness.
"Didn't shoot it great, played good defense for the most part," Taylor said. "We just stuck together and found a way to win."
"I knew it was banking in right away." Gasser said. "When it was in the air, I called it."
The Badgers have been walking a fine line all year long on the road. Against the Wolverines, Gasser's three-pointer as time expired propelled the Badgers (11-4 Big Ten, 21-6 overall) to yet another come from behind victory.
"I knew he was gonna get a shot off," junior point guard Jordan Taylor said. "Josh is a tough kid and I knew he was gonna give it a good shot."
Gasser scored the final five points for UW Wednesday night with his last basket the biggest as UW walked out of Ann Arbor with the Badger's third come back victory of the season.
"I've had some buzzer-beaters in my life, but not on a stage like this," Gasser said. "And I've certainly never banked in a winning three before."
Junior point guard Jordan Taylor scored 11 of his game-high 20 points in the first half. He also contributed five assists, the fifth coming on Gasser's game winner after the Wolverines (7-9, 17-12). doubled Taylor on the right wing off an inbounds play with five seconds left in regulation.
"Taylor is so talented, I think we'd all agree," Michigan head coach John Beilein said. "We've seen a lot of point guards come into Crisler, that guy's gotta be at the top of your list of guys you've seen recently that are efficient."
Senior forward Jon Leuer scored just two points in the second half, but recorded his eighth career double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in 37 minutes of play.
UW struggled defending Michigan's sets at times in the first half and saw the Wolverines take a one-point lead heading into halftime on a pick-and-roll lay-up by Evan Smotrycz.
A minor shooting slump slowed UW down going into the second half. Leuer started the half with his final bucket of the night, but the Badgers then missed six straight shots. To Wisconsin's advantage, Michigan also came out cold in the second half and the Badgers remained within striking distance throughout the first five minutes.
After senior forward Keaton Nankivil ended the drought with two quick buckets, UW traded baskets with the Wolverines as the two saw three lead changes and no lead exceeding four points the entire rest of the half.
"We got a lot of resilient guys on our team," Taylor said. "Nobody on our team had the best game of their lives tonight, but we found a way to win."
The Badgers relied on Leuer, Taylor and Nankivil who combined for 45 of the Badger's 53 total points.
Although Wisconsin committed five costly turnovers, they were able to force Michigan into 11 and were able to score 18 points off of the Wolverines carelessness.
"Didn't shoot it great, played good defense for the most part," Taylor said. "We just stuck together and found a way to win."
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Badgers Set to Face Pesky Michigan Squad
The 12th ranked Badgers will hit the road Wednesday to take on a red hot Michigan team in Ann Arbor. Winners of 5 out of their last 6, the Wolverines (17-11, 7-8 Big Ten) have gotten themselves squarely back onto the bubble, now competing for fourth place in the Big Ten with Illinois, Michigan State, Penn State and Minnesota.
While Michigan opened Big Ten play losing six of their first seven conference games, including a 23-point loss to Purdue and a 19-point drubbing to a struggling Indiana squad, the recent turnaround has them currently playing some of their best basketball of the year. It seems Michigan is poised to give the Badgers a challenge much like similarly streaky teams in Penn State and Iowa, both of whom welcomed UW to their home buildings precisely when they were playing their best basketball of the season.
Since they surprised many by winning their first game in East Lansing since 1997, the young team has turned things around and in the process begun a long climb up the Big Ten standings. Now coming off a come-from-behind road victory against Iowa, the Wolverines are as confident as they have been all season.
“We’re more focused on trying to stop teams,” Michigan freshman forward Jordan Morgan said of the added defensive intensity. “{We’re} playing with more energy and taking teams out of their rhythm.”
The sharp shooting backcourt of sophomore guard Darius Morris and freshman guard Tim Hardaway, Jr. have lead the Wolverines in their recent surge.
“Morris seems like he’s been a little more consistent, and that’s pretty important when you’ve got the ball in your hands as much as he does,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said.
“He’s being smart about the shots he takes and he knows the times when we need big shots…” Morgan said of Hardaway, who notched a career-high 30 points in the Wolverines 75-72 overtime win at Iowa. “He’s got a lot of confidence and his confidence is growing with every good game he has.”
Despite the confidence building in Michigan’s dangerous backcourt, the frontcourt will likely have their hands full Wednesday night.
The Badger’s senior frontcourt duo of Keaton Nankivil and Jon Leuer stand at a respective 6’8 and 6’10. In comparison, Michigan’s frontcourt Morgan and junior forward Zack Novak are just 6’8 and 6’4 respectively. The Badgers will not only have a size advantage in the paint; Wisconsin will also have a crucial advantage in the experience column.
After shooting just 20 percent from the field in Wisconsin’s previous three games, Nankivil erupted Sunday against Penn State. He nailed all five of his three-point attempts on his way to 22 points.
“Their pick-and-roll situation is tough to guard because they’ll pop,” Morgan added. “They’ve got a lot of guys who can shoot it so that puts us in a lot of recovery situations.”
If the Badgers hope to come out of Ann Arbor will a win, they will need to take advantage of those recovery situations and shoot the ball well from range, something they have thus far been unable to do on the road.
-Mgoblue.com contributed to this report
While Michigan opened Big Ten play losing six of their first seven conference games, including a 23-point loss to Purdue and a 19-point drubbing to a struggling Indiana squad, the recent turnaround has them currently playing some of their best basketball of the year. It seems Michigan is poised to give the Badgers a challenge much like similarly streaky teams in Penn State and Iowa, both of whom welcomed UW to their home buildings precisely when they were playing their best basketball of the season.
Since they surprised many by winning their first game in East Lansing since 1997, the young team has turned things around and in the process begun a long climb up the Big Ten standings. Now coming off a come-from-behind road victory against Iowa, the Wolverines are as confident as they have been all season.
“We’re more focused on trying to stop teams,” Michigan freshman forward Jordan Morgan said of the added defensive intensity. “{We’re} playing with more energy and taking teams out of their rhythm.”
The sharp shooting backcourt of sophomore guard Darius Morris and freshman guard Tim Hardaway, Jr. have lead the Wolverines in their recent surge.
“Morris seems like he’s been a little more consistent, and that’s pretty important when you’ve got the ball in your hands as much as he does,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said.
“He’s being smart about the shots he takes and he knows the times when we need big shots…” Morgan said of Hardaway, who notched a career-high 30 points in the Wolverines 75-72 overtime win at Iowa. “He’s got a lot of confidence and his confidence is growing with every good game he has.”
Despite the confidence building in Michigan’s dangerous backcourt, the frontcourt will likely have their hands full Wednesday night.
The Badger’s senior frontcourt duo of Keaton Nankivil and Jon Leuer stand at a respective 6’8 and 6’10. In comparison, Michigan’s frontcourt Morgan and junior forward Zack Novak are just 6’8 and 6’4 respectively. The Badgers will not only have a size advantage in the paint; Wisconsin will also have a crucial advantage in the experience column.
After shooting just 20 percent from the field in Wisconsin’s previous three games, Nankivil erupted Sunday against Penn State. He nailed all five of his three-point attempts on his way to 22 points.
“Their pick-and-roll situation is tough to guard because they’ll pop,” Morgan added. “They’ve got a lot of guys who can shoot it so that puts us in a lot of recovery situations.”
If the Badgers hope to come out of Ann Arbor will a win, they will need to take advantage of those recovery situations and shoot the ball well from range, something they have thus far been unable to do on the road.
-Mgoblue.com contributed to this report
Michigan looks to unleash shooting duo against UW
Ted Porath-
After a tough loss at Purdue last Wednesday, the No. 12 Wisconsin men's basketball team bounced back to beat a pesky Penn State team on Sunday.
Things were working well for the Badgers all night on offense, as they scored 76 points and shot 54 percent from the field.
It was also a hot night for Wisconsin behind the arc, shooting 53 percent from three-point range. A big contributor to that was senior forward Keaton Nankivil, who got back on track after a three game dry spell, scoring 22 points and going 5-for-5 from three-point range.
When asked what Nankivil meant to the team Sunday, head coach Bo Ryan was complimenting yet cautionary.
"I don't know what the next 40 minutes is going to get, but I do know this. [Nankivil] stretches defenses. He has an excellent shot. He's a guy we want shooting the ball when he's open," Ryan said.
"So what it meant last night was that he was a difference maker in that game. Whether that can happen at Michigan, I'll have to talk to you after the game."
Continuing forward, the Badgers will play three of their final four regular season games on the road, starting with Michigan Wednesday night at Ann Arbor. Michigan (7-8 Big Ten, 17-11 overall) comes into this next game as winners of six of their last eight and hungry to get off the bubble and into the NCAA tournament.
The key players as of late for the Wolverines have been sophomore point guard Darius Morris and junior guard Tim Hardaway Jr.
Morris leads the Wolverines in both points (15.4) and assists (6.9) per game. Hardaway is second on the team in points per game (13.4) and leads the team in three-pointers made (57).
These two were huge in Michigan's latest win over Iowa, combining for 50 points.
When asked about Michigan's recent success, Ryan hinted that it has something to do with Morris' play, as well as the team's confidence lately in their shooting.
"They're playing better together. Morris has been a little more consistent and that's important when you've got the ball in your hand as much as he does," Ryan said. "They're knocking down shots.
There's a lot of teams that look really good when those outside shots are going in. It's confidence."
Three-point shooting has always been essential to a John Beilein coached offense. It was the three-point shooting of many Mountaineers, including Kevin Pittsnogle that led West Virginia team all the way to the Elite Eight in 2005.
This track record indicates how dangerous a Belein-coached team and their threes could be to the Badgers tomorrow.
Although the Wolverines are second in the Big Ten in three-pointers made and first in three-pointers attempted, they are only eighth in the Big Ten in three-point shooting percentage.
The Wolverines will have to make their threes on a consistent basis if they are going to upset the Badgers Wednesday night.
After a tough loss at Purdue last Wednesday, the No. 12 Wisconsin men's basketball team bounced back to beat a pesky Penn State team on Sunday.
Things were working well for the Badgers all night on offense, as they scored 76 points and shot 54 percent from the field.
It was also a hot night for Wisconsin behind the arc, shooting 53 percent from three-point range. A big contributor to that was senior forward Keaton Nankivil, who got back on track after a three game dry spell, scoring 22 points and going 5-for-5 from three-point range.
When asked what Nankivil meant to the team Sunday, head coach Bo Ryan was complimenting yet cautionary.
"I don't know what the next 40 minutes is going to get, but I do know this. [Nankivil] stretches defenses. He has an excellent shot. He's a guy we want shooting the ball when he's open," Ryan said.
"So what it meant last night was that he was a difference maker in that game. Whether that can happen at Michigan, I'll have to talk to you after the game."
Continuing forward, the Badgers will play three of their final four regular season games on the road, starting with Michigan Wednesday night at Ann Arbor. Michigan (7-8 Big Ten, 17-11 overall) comes into this next game as winners of six of their last eight and hungry to get off the bubble and into the NCAA tournament.
The key players as of late for the Wolverines have been sophomore point guard Darius Morris and junior guard Tim Hardaway Jr.
Morris leads the Wolverines in both points (15.4) and assists (6.9) per game. Hardaway is second on the team in points per game (13.4) and leads the team in three-pointers made (57).
These two were huge in Michigan's latest win over Iowa, combining for 50 points.
When asked about Michigan's recent success, Ryan hinted that it has something to do with Morris' play, as well as the team's confidence lately in their shooting.
"They're playing better together. Morris has been a little more consistent and that's important when you've got the ball in your hand as much as he does," Ryan said. "They're knocking down shots.
There's a lot of teams that look really good when those outside shots are going in. It's confidence."
Three-point shooting has always been essential to a John Beilein coached offense. It was the three-point shooting of many Mountaineers, including Kevin Pittsnogle that led West Virginia team all the way to the Elite Eight in 2005.
This track record indicates how dangerous a Belein-coached team and their threes could be to the Badgers tomorrow.
Although the Wolverines are second in the Big Ten in three-pointers made and first in three-pointers attempted, they are only eighth in the Big Ten in three-point shooting percentage.
The Wolverines will have to make their threes on a consistent basis if they are going to upset the Badgers Wednesday night.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Shooting Gallery Leads UW Past Penn State
After an exciting game against then-No.1 Ohio State last weekend, Sunday's matinee against Penn State was sure to be lacking in terms of emotional punch. But after a loss to Purdue during the week, defending the home turf was crucial for UW as they responded with a 76-66 win over Penn State.
Though Wisconsin (10-4 Big Ten, 20-6 overall) had dropped a tough game on the road earlier this year against the Nittany Lions (7-8, 14-12), PSU had never won at the Kohl Center and until having a 16-point, 2nd-half lead last year, had really never come close to doing so.
Never trailing, the Badgers were led by senior forward Jon Leuer's 22 points and 10 rebounds and perhaps even more so by the hot hand of fellow senior Keaton Nankivil, who rebounded from a tough shooting stretch to go 8-for-9 from the field including 5-of-5 from three-point range.
The 22 points for Nankivil marked just the third time in his career he has surpassed the 20-point mark.
"We gave him open shots," Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis said after the game. "That's not what you really want to do with him because he's a really good perimeter shooter."
"He's a rhythm shooter," Leuer added. "When he gets into a rhythm he's as good a shooter as anyone in the country."
Three-point shooting was key as UW shot 8-for-15 from downtown, a far cry from the 3-for-18 put up against Purdue.
"We've got to continue to shoot it well," freshman guard Josh Gasser said. "Whether it's at home or on the road."
Although he finished with 13 points and seven assists (once again without committing a turnover), junior guard Jordan Taylor was clearly without the magic of last weekend, shooting just 4-for-11 from the field and even picking up a rare technical foul after a miscommunication on a foul call that ultimately went against Leuer.
"I believe there was an erroneous number given to the scorer's table," UW head coach Bo Ryan said somewhat facetiously. "Jordan said ‘that foul was not on me' and was given a technical foul."
While the final margin of victory was just 10, this one was never in question. The Badgers took the lead on the first possession with Leuer's turnaround floater and never looked back, eventually building a 19-point lead before Penn State's shooters got hot late.
Aside from the big numbers posted by Leuer and Nankivil, freshman guard Josh Gasser returned to form after a tough game in West Lafayette, shooting three of four from the field for 11 points to go along with five assists and two rebounds. With 4 players scoring in double digits, not even the eight 2nd half three-pointers by PSU could put a Badger victory in doubt.
Ultimately, the difference came at the free throw line. As they have throughout the season, UW tried to stay aggressive offensively and managed to get to the line 21 times, converting 18 of those free throws compared to just three for Penn State.
Next up the Badgers head to Ann Arbor for a tough midweek date with a hot Wolverine team that has gotten itself back onto the bubble and this weekend overcame a double-digit deficit at Iowa to pick up a key road win.
"We are gonna play the hottest team in basketball next," Ryan said. "As long as we stay resilient, we've got a chance"
Though Wisconsin (10-4 Big Ten, 20-6 overall) had dropped a tough game on the road earlier this year against the Nittany Lions (7-8, 14-12), PSU had never won at the Kohl Center and until having a 16-point, 2nd-half lead last year, had really never come close to doing so.
Never trailing, the Badgers were led by senior forward Jon Leuer's 22 points and 10 rebounds and perhaps even more so by the hot hand of fellow senior Keaton Nankivil, who rebounded from a tough shooting stretch to go 8-for-9 from the field including 5-of-5 from three-point range.
The 22 points for Nankivil marked just the third time in his career he has surpassed the 20-point mark.
"We gave him open shots," Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis said after the game. "That's not what you really want to do with him because he's a really good perimeter shooter."
"He's a rhythm shooter," Leuer added. "When he gets into a rhythm he's as good a shooter as anyone in the country."
Three-point shooting was key as UW shot 8-for-15 from downtown, a far cry from the 3-for-18 put up against Purdue.
"We've got to continue to shoot it well," freshman guard Josh Gasser said. "Whether it's at home or on the road."
Although he finished with 13 points and seven assists (once again without committing a turnover), junior guard Jordan Taylor was clearly without the magic of last weekend, shooting just 4-for-11 from the field and even picking up a rare technical foul after a miscommunication on a foul call that ultimately went against Leuer.
"I believe there was an erroneous number given to the scorer's table," UW head coach Bo Ryan said somewhat facetiously. "Jordan said ‘that foul was not on me' and was given a technical foul."
While the final margin of victory was just 10, this one was never in question. The Badgers took the lead on the first possession with Leuer's turnaround floater and never looked back, eventually building a 19-point lead before Penn State's shooters got hot late.
Aside from the big numbers posted by Leuer and Nankivil, freshman guard Josh Gasser returned to form after a tough game in West Lafayette, shooting three of four from the field for 11 points to go along with five assists and two rebounds. With 4 players scoring in double digits, not even the eight 2nd half three-pointers by PSU could put a Badger victory in doubt.
Ultimately, the difference came at the free throw line. As they have throughout the season, UW tried to stay aggressive offensively and managed to get to the line 21 times, converting 18 of those free throws compared to just three for Penn State.
Next up the Badgers head to Ann Arbor for a tough midweek date with a hot Wolverine team that has gotten itself back onto the bubble and this weekend overcame a double-digit deficit at Iowa to pick up a key road win.
"We are gonna play the hottest team in basketball next," Ryan said. "As long as we stay resilient, we've got a chance"
Friday, February 18, 2011
Badgers Look to Stay Hot at Home As Penn State Rolls In
Coming off a defeat at the hands of Purdue Wednesday night, Wisconsin will look to get back on track as Penn State visits the Kohl Center Sunday afternoon.
Though the Nittany Lions were able to knock off UW in State College, Pa., three weeks ago, the Badgers are 14-2 against Penn State at home, winning all ten meetings since the Kohl Center opened in 1998.
When these two teams faced off Jan. 29, Penn State was in the midst of a run that saw them take down Michigan State, Illinois and UW at home while nearly knocking off both Ohio State and Purdue away from the Bryce Jordan center.
However PSU comes into Madison having lost three of their last five games since that home upset against the Badgers, struggling in loses to Illinois, Michigan, and Michigan State. Having put themselves back on the bubble in January, the Nittany Lions now seem out of the running and look destined for the NIT.
In Sunday's contest, the key match-up will undoubtedly be between UW junior guard Jordan Taylor and Penn State senior guard Taylor Battle, who recently became the first Big Ten player since Alando Tucker to pass the 2,000 point threshold.
Taylor, on the other hand, has been the centerpiece of the Wisconsin offense. In last weekend's upset of No. 1 Ohio State, Taylor led the way with 27 points and 7 assists, dominating the Buckeyes' Aaron Craft during a 30-8 stretch that turned a 15-point Ohio State lead into a 7-point deficit.
In the road loss against the Boilermakers Wednesday, however, Taylor never got things going, struggling throughout despite posting 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
As Taylor goes, so go the Badgers.
But during the recent stretch that has seen UW win 7-of-9, it has been the supporting cast that has proven crucial down the stretch.
Double-digit performances by sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz and freshman guard Josh Gasser were arguably as vital to the Wisconsin comeback against Ohio State as the 21 points Taylor had in the second half.
That duo shot a combined 2-of-12 from the field against Purdue and seemed unable to get a big shot to fall.
Despite the loss, there were positive developments the Badgers can look to build upon as they head back home.
Redshirt sophomore Ryan Evans notched 11 points and five rebounds while showing an added level of aggressive play on the offensive end that Wisconsin would undoubtedly like to see carried over into the final run of conference play.
Sunday begins a stretch of games in which the Badgers should be favored in four straight contests, games that are arguably the most important of the season for a Wisconsin team looking to get itself a high seed in the NCAA tournament and perhaps even get themselves back into the conference title race.
Though the Nittany Lions were able to knock off UW in State College, Pa., three weeks ago, the Badgers are 14-2 against Penn State at home, winning all ten meetings since the Kohl Center opened in 1998.
When these two teams faced off Jan. 29, Penn State was in the midst of a run that saw them take down Michigan State, Illinois and UW at home while nearly knocking off both Ohio State and Purdue away from the Bryce Jordan center.
However PSU comes into Madison having lost three of their last five games since that home upset against the Badgers, struggling in loses to Illinois, Michigan, and Michigan State. Having put themselves back on the bubble in January, the Nittany Lions now seem out of the running and look destined for the NIT.
In Sunday's contest, the key match-up will undoubtedly be between UW junior guard Jordan Taylor and Penn State senior guard Taylor Battle, who recently became the first Big Ten player since Alando Tucker to pass the 2,000 point threshold.
Taylor, on the other hand, has been the centerpiece of the Wisconsin offense. In last weekend's upset of No. 1 Ohio State, Taylor led the way with 27 points and 7 assists, dominating the Buckeyes' Aaron Craft during a 30-8 stretch that turned a 15-point Ohio State lead into a 7-point deficit.
In the road loss against the Boilermakers Wednesday, however, Taylor never got things going, struggling throughout despite posting 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
As Taylor goes, so go the Badgers.
But during the recent stretch that has seen UW win 7-of-9, it has been the supporting cast that has proven crucial down the stretch.
Double-digit performances by sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz and freshman guard Josh Gasser were arguably as vital to the Wisconsin comeback against Ohio State as the 21 points Taylor had in the second half.
That duo shot a combined 2-of-12 from the field against Purdue and seemed unable to get a big shot to fall.
Despite the loss, there were positive developments the Badgers can look to build upon as they head back home.
Redshirt sophomore Ryan Evans notched 11 points and five rebounds while showing an added level of aggressive play on the offensive end that Wisconsin would undoubtedly like to see carried over into the final run of conference play.
Sunday begins a stretch of games in which the Badgers should be favored in four straight contests, games that are arguably the most important of the season for a Wisconsin team looking to get itself a high seed in the NCAA tournament and perhaps even get themselves back into the conference title race.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Badgers Run Out of Gas in Comeback Bid Against Purdue
Trailing by as much as 13 in 2nd half, the Badgers once again fought their way back into a tough conference match-up, but couldn’t get over the hump as they fell to No. 11 Purdue 70-62.
As much as the 10-4 start seemed to point toward a continuation of Saturday’s offensive surge, the reality was that Wisconsin couldn’t get that big shot or big rebound like they had the entire 2nd half against Ohio State.
“{I am} disappointed,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said after the game. “But I learned something about our guys during that comeback.”
That comeback Ryan was referring to saw the Badgers once again whittle into a double-digit lead, this time going on an 18-7 run over a seven-minute run to close within two point with just under 4 minutes left in the game.
We could smell blood in the water when we cut it to 2,” senior forward Jon Leuer said. “But credit them, they made some big shots. We let it slip away."
Even though Leuer put up 23 points and 4 rebounds, he was in foul trouble much of the first half and was forced to hit the bench for the final 7:42 leading into halftime as Purdue built a 6-point lead at the intermission.
With Leuer forced to sit and junior guard Jordan Taylor unable to get much going on the offensive end, finding production was an issue for a Badger team that had relied heavily on its top duo throughout the season.
Though redshirt sophomore Ryan Evans contributed 11 points and 6 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench, the supporting cast behind Taylor and Leuer shot a combined 8 for 32 from the field and 2 for 14 from three-point range.
Without much production from the likes of sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz and senior forward Keaton Nankivil, who combined for just 7 points on 3 of 14 shooting, the spotlight shone brightly on Taylor’s struggles on the offensive end.
Though the reinstated Cousy Award finalist still managed 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, the rhythm Taylor had played with against Ohio State was nowhere in sight.
"I felt like could have done more and maybe started penetrating earlier than I did,” Taylor said.
Although Taylor would never admit it, it appeared that the 83 minutes he logged last week in games against Iowa and Ohio State had clearly taken a toll on him physically.
Purdue junior guard Lewis Jackson took advantage on the other end, putting up 18 points, one shy of his career high, adding 4 rebounds and 5 assists as well. With Purdue’s scoring duo of E’Twuan Moore and JaJuan Johnson combining for a ho-hum 39 points, that third source of production was crucial in the Boilermakers’ victory.
Though they missed an opportunity to get a tough road win, the Badgers now hit a stretch of 4 straight conference games in which they will be favored leading up to the season-ending showdown in Columbus.
Beginning with Penn State’s visit to Madison Sunday afternoon, this 4-game stretch is arguably among the most important of the season as Wisconsin tries to distance itself from the pack and earn a top seed heading into the NCAA Tournament.
As much as the 10-4 start seemed to point toward a continuation of Saturday’s offensive surge, the reality was that Wisconsin couldn’t get that big shot or big rebound like they had the entire 2nd half against Ohio State.
“{I am} disappointed,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said after the game. “But I learned something about our guys during that comeback.”
That comeback Ryan was referring to saw the Badgers once again whittle into a double-digit lead, this time going on an 18-7 run over a seven-minute run to close within two point with just under 4 minutes left in the game.
We could smell blood in the water when we cut it to 2,” senior forward Jon Leuer said. “But credit them, they made some big shots. We let it slip away."
Even though Leuer put up 23 points and 4 rebounds, he was in foul trouble much of the first half and was forced to hit the bench for the final 7:42 leading into halftime as Purdue built a 6-point lead at the intermission.
With Leuer forced to sit and junior guard Jordan Taylor unable to get much going on the offensive end, finding production was an issue for a Badger team that had relied heavily on its top duo throughout the season.
Though redshirt sophomore Ryan Evans contributed 11 points and 6 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench, the supporting cast behind Taylor and Leuer shot a combined 8 for 32 from the field and 2 for 14 from three-point range.
Without much production from the likes of sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz and senior forward Keaton Nankivil, who combined for just 7 points on 3 of 14 shooting, the spotlight shone brightly on Taylor’s struggles on the offensive end.
Though the reinstated Cousy Award finalist still managed 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, the rhythm Taylor had played with against Ohio State was nowhere in sight.
"I felt like could have done more and maybe started penetrating earlier than I did,” Taylor said.
Although Taylor would never admit it, it appeared that the 83 minutes he logged last week in games against Iowa and Ohio State had clearly taken a toll on him physically.
Purdue junior guard Lewis Jackson took advantage on the other end, putting up 18 points, one shy of his career high, adding 4 rebounds and 5 assists as well. With Purdue’s scoring duo of E’Twuan Moore and JaJuan Johnson combining for a ho-hum 39 points, that third source of production was crucial in the Boilermakers’ victory.
Though they missed an opportunity to get a tough road win, the Badgers now hit a stretch of 4 straight conference games in which they will be favored leading up to the season-ending showdown in Columbus.
Beginning with Penn State’s visit to Madison Sunday afternoon, this 4-game stretch is arguably among the most important of the season as Wisconsin tries to distance itself from the pack and earn a top seed heading into the NCAA Tournament.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Badgers Look to Storm the Court in West Lafayette
Jeremy Wodajo-
Now ranked in the top 10 in the nation, Wisconsin will look to build off of this past weekend’s colossal victory over then-No.1 Ohio State as they visit No. 11 Purdue (20-5 overall, 9-3 Big Ten) Wednesday night.
“Its been a fun couple days but we know at the same time that we’ve got to go into one of the toughest places to play in the country, Purdue, and play a team that’s playing really well,” senior forward Jon Leuer said. “We have to harness the energy we had from that crowd {Saturday} and that atmosphere and try to take it to West Lafayette.”
With Selection Sunday less than a month away, the Badgers (19-5 overall, 9-3 Big Ten) are looking to solidify their spot as one of the top teams in the field of 68 and after Saturday’s victory, a win at Purdue would do wonders to solidify UW’s regular season resume.
Though Wisconsin has split their last 12 meetings with the Boilermakers, UW has not won a road game in West Lafayette since 2005.
“They play better at home, they kind of feed off the energy just like we do,” freshman guard Josh Gasser said. “Its just a tough place to play.”
On the Badgers’ end, Senior forward Keaton Nankivil has struggled from the field over the past two games, shooting just 3/14 from three-point range and 7/20 overall in the wins over Iowa and Ohio State.
However, while Nankivil has topped the 20-point mark twice in his career, both times have come against Purdue. The most recent of those came on a 25-point night in West Lafayette that included a UW record-7 three pointers.
“You can take those memories and say ‘okay maybe it will springboard into something else’,” Nankivil said. “But at the same time it’s still the same game that we play in any arena so we need to focus on being consistent.”
After his national coming out party on Saturday, junior guard Jordan Taylor won his first Big Ten Player of the Week award. Taylor’s 21 second-half points gave him 27 for the game and were accompanied by 7 assists and 4 rebounds. Now getting some much-deserved attention, Taylor is averaging 21.5 points and 7.5 assists per game while also still owning the nation’s best assist-to-TO ratio of 4.0.
UW’s first victory over a No.1-ranked team since 1962 was a complete team effort, something they will definitely look to continue to close out the season. For the sixth time this season, the Badgers had four players score in double figures and the contributions from Gasser and from sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz were invaluable in getting Wisconsin over the top.
But in the last match-up with Purdue, it was sophomore forward Ryan Evans who stepped up as UW’s unlikely hero. The Arizona native gave Wisconsin a much-needed boost, scoring 10 points and hitting a crucial jump-shot in the final minute of the game to give the Badgers a big conference home win.
“We know what guys like Mike, Josh, Ryan, what they’re all capable of on any given night,” Taylor said. “When they start doing that, it opens up lanes for everyone else and when you have to honor everything everyone on the floor is doing, it spreads things out…It’s a huge boost.”
With Purdue coming off a big road win against Illinois, that boost will come in handy as the Badgers look to get past Purdue and attempt to chase down the Buckeyes at the top of the conference.
Now ranked in the top 10 in the nation, Wisconsin will look to build off of this past weekend’s colossal victory over then-No.1 Ohio State as they visit No. 11 Purdue (20-5 overall, 9-3 Big Ten) Wednesday night.
“Its been a fun couple days but we know at the same time that we’ve got to go into one of the toughest places to play in the country, Purdue, and play a team that’s playing really well,” senior forward Jon Leuer said. “We have to harness the energy we had from that crowd {Saturday} and that atmosphere and try to take it to West Lafayette.”
With Selection Sunday less than a month away, the Badgers (19-5 overall, 9-3 Big Ten) are looking to solidify their spot as one of the top teams in the field of 68 and after Saturday’s victory, a win at Purdue would do wonders to solidify UW’s regular season resume.
Though Wisconsin has split their last 12 meetings with the Boilermakers, UW has not won a road game in West Lafayette since 2005.
“They play better at home, they kind of feed off the energy just like we do,” freshman guard Josh Gasser said. “Its just a tough place to play.”
On the Badgers’ end, Senior forward Keaton Nankivil has struggled from the field over the past two games, shooting just 3/14 from three-point range and 7/20 overall in the wins over Iowa and Ohio State.
However, while Nankivil has topped the 20-point mark twice in his career, both times have come against Purdue. The most recent of those came on a 25-point night in West Lafayette that included a UW record-7 three pointers.
“You can take those memories and say ‘okay maybe it will springboard into something else’,” Nankivil said. “But at the same time it’s still the same game that we play in any arena so we need to focus on being consistent.”
After his national coming out party on Saturday, junior guard Jordan Taylor won his first Big Ten Player of the Week award. Taylor’s 21 second-half points gave him 27 for the game and were accompanied by 7 assists and 4 rebounds. Now getting some much-deserved attention, Taylor is averaging 21.5 points and 7.5 assists per game while also still owning the nation’s best assist-to-TO ratio of 4.0.
UW’s first victory over a No.1-ranked team since 1962 was a complete team effort, something they will definitely look to continue to close out the season. For the sixth time this season, the Badgers had four players score in double figures and the contributions from Gasser and from sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz were invaluable in getting Wisconsin over the top.
But in the last match-up with Purdue, it was sophomore forward Ryan Evans who stepped up as UW’s unlikely hero. The Arizona native gave Wisconsin a much-needed boost, scoring 10 points and hitting a crucial jump-shot in the final minute of the game to give the Badgers a big conference home win.
“We know what guys like Mike, Josh, Ryan, what they’re all capable of on any given night,” Taylor said. “When they start doing that, it opens up lanes for everyone else and when you have to honor everything everyone on the floor is doing, it spreads things out…It’s a huge boost.”
With Purdue coming off a big road win against Illinois, that boost will come in handy as the Badgers look to get past Purdue and attempt to chase down the Buckeyes at the top of the conference.
Home-Grown Gasser Making an Early Impact
There are certain things in the world that are pretty well-established: the sky is blue, the grass is green, and Wisconsin freshman have to ride the bench before they earn their way into Bo Ryan’s lineup.
For UW freshman guard Josh Gasser, this conventional wisdom simply doesn’t apply.
After catching some eyes at the season-opening “Field House Madness” scrimmage, the Port Washington native worked his way into the rotation before exploding onto the scene with a 21-point, 9-rebound debut in the season-opener against Prairie View A&M.
“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” Gasser said at the time. “I was just out there doing whatever I could to help us win.”
As much as it flew against the foundations of the Bo Ryan system, the 2nd best debut in program history left Ryan with little choice but to give Gasser the start against North Dakota.
In today’s college basketball landscape, starting a freshman is commonplace, but at Wisconsin, its breaking news. With the start against the Sioux, Gasser became just the 3rd player in the Bo Ryan area to start a game as a freshman, the other two carrying the last names of Harris and Tucker.
“I didn’t think I’d have this much impact even two or three years down the road,” Gasser said. “I just came in wanting to find my role and my role is bigger than I thought it would be, but I’m fine with it.”
But being thrust into the lineup and into the spotlight took a bit of adjustment for the freshman, not only in terms of his on-the-court play, but perhaps even more so in his transition into the life of a college basketball player.
“It’s a lot more mental. It takes more focus and you’ve got to study the game a lot more {than you do in high school},” he said. “It’s a grinding season {and} it takes a toll on your body, but once you get past that, it’s alright.”
As could be expected, it took some time after that debut for Gasser to settle into his new role. Though he would go on to have a 12 point game against Manhattan followed by an 8 point, 6 rebound day against Boston College, the production definitely dropped as the non-conference slate wore on and the semi-slump continued into the beginning of Big Ten play before a scoreless game against Illinois finally got him plucked from the starting lineup.
Inserting back into the starting lineup just a few weeks later against Indiana, it didn’t take long for the former high school quarterback to get right back into the headlines.
For all of the success had over a 113-year history, it would seem to be an anomaly that no Badger player had ever posted a triple-double. Junior guard Jordan Taylor had come within 1 assist of the feat against South Dakota back in December, but as the Badgers tipped off against Northwestern on January 23rd, the triple-double remained elusive for the UW program.
The unlikeliest of candidates to change that was Gasser. Though he had shown an ability to rebound from the backcourt, his previous career high in assists was just 4 and after all he was a freshman.
But that Sunday afternoon, playing in front of about 100 Port Washington fans that had bussed down for the game, Gasser’s mid-season struggles were quickly put in the backburner.
Gasser quickly put up 10 first-half points, nearly matching his Big Ten total of 13, and added to his 7 assists and 4 rebounds, finishing the game with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Just a footnote in the Wisconsin media guide a year ago, Gasser had suddenly made Wisconsin basketball history.
Triple-double aside, Gasser has made some huge plays in big moments for a team that has suddenly risen to 10th in the nation.
From forcing a turnover late against Marquette to creating a foul late against Purdue to corralling a loose ball at Iowa and finally hitting the tying 3 against the Buckeyes, Gasser’s contributions seem to have always come in the most important moments, a rare accomplishment for an inexperienced freshman.
“As a freshman, to make the kind of plays he does, it gives us a huge lift,” senior forward Jon Leuer said after the Marquette win. “He’s helped us out a lot and he’s going to continue to help us out.”
“He makes those kind of plays all the time that you might not see in the box score,” Taylor said after the Ohio State win. “He is just a kid that is hard-nosed and will stick his face on the ball like Coach Ryan says. He makes those plays consistently, and those are winning plays. He is a great all-around player and that is what makes him so good.”
Taylor himself has played a role in the growth process for Gasser, serving as a much-needed mentor and invaluable role model at the guard position.
“He’s been a great leader not only for me but for our whole team,” Gasser said. “Coming in as a freshman guard, he’s kind of the guy I’ve looked up to…Its just fun to play with him, he does things most people cant do, not only from a basketball standpoint, but off the court he handles himself so well.”
Having this great an impact would be special for any freshman, but having grown up just 80 miles from the Kohl Center, doing it at Wisconsin is extra special for Gasser.
“That’s the best thing about this,” Gasser said. “I get to play in front of my home state, in front of my friends and family back home. There’s a lot of Badger fans back in Port Washington because of this.”
For UW freshman guard Josh Gasser, this conventional wisdom simply doesn’t apply.
After catching some eyes at the season-opening “Field House Madness” scrimmage, the Port Washington native worked his way into the rotation before exploding onto the scene with a 21-point, 9-rebound debut in the season-opener against Prairie View A&M.
“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” Gasser said at the time. “I was just out there doing whatever I could to help us win.”
As much as it flew against the foundations of the Bo Ryan system, the 2nd best debut in program history left Ryan with little choice but to give Gasser the start against North Dakota.
In today’s college basketball landscape, starting a freshman is commonplace, but at Wisconsin, its breaking news. With the start against the Sioux, Gasser became just the 3rd player in the Bo Ryan area to start a game as a freshman, the other two carrying the last names of Harris and Tucker.
“I didn’t think I’d have this much impact even two or three years down the road,” Gasser said. “I just came in wanting to find my role and my role is bigger than I thought it would be, but I’m fine with it.”
But being thrust into the lineup and into the spotlight took a bit of adjustment for the freshman, not only in terms of his on-the-court play, but perhaps even more so in his transition into the life of a college basketball player.
“It’s a lot more mental. It takes more focus and you’ve got to study the game a lot more {than you do in high school},” he said. “It’s a grinding season {and} it takes a toll on your body, but once you get past that, it’s alright.”
As could be expected, it took some time after that debut for Gasser to settle into his new role. Though he would go on to have a 12 point game against Manhattan followed by an 8 point, 6 rebound day against Boston College, the production definitely dropped as the non-conference slate wore on and the semi-slump continued into the beginning of Big Ten play before a scoreless game against Illinois finally got him plucked from the starting lineup.
Inserting back into the starting lineup just a few weeks later against Indiana, it didn’t take long for the former high school quarterback to get right back into the headlines.
For all of the success had over a 113-year history, it would seem to be an anomaly that no Badger player had ever posted a triple-double. Junior guard Jordan Taylor had come within 1 assist of the feat against South Dakota back in December, but as the Badgers tipped off against Northwestern on January 23rd, the triple-double remained elusive for the UW program.
The unlikeliest of candidates to change that was Gasser. Though he had shown an ability to rebound from the backcourt, his previous career high in assists was just 4 and after all he was a freshman.
But that Sunday afternoon, playing in front of about 100 Port Washington fans that had bussed down for the game, Gasser’s mid-season struggles were quickly put in the backburner.
Gasser quickly put up 10 first-half points, nearly matching his Big Ten total of 13, and added to his 7 assists and 4 rebounds, finishing the game with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Just a footnote in the Wisconsin media guide a year ago, Gasser had suddenly made Wisconsin basketball history.
Triple-double aside, Gasser has made some huge plays in big moments for a team that has suddenly risen to 10th in the nation.
From forcing a turnover late against Marquette to creating a foul late against Purdue to corralling a loose ball at Iowa and finally hitting the tying 3 against the Buckeyes, Gasser’s contributions seem to have always come in the most important moments, a rare accomplishment for an inexperienced freshman.
“As a freshman, to make the kind of plays he does, it gives us a huge lift,” senior forward Jon Leuer said after the Marquette win. “He’s helped us out a lot and he’s going to continue to help us out.”
“He makes those kind of plays all the time that you might not see in the box score,” Taylor said after the Ohio State win. “He is just a kid that is hard-nosed and will stick his face on the ball like Coach Ryan says. He makes those plays consistently, and those are winning plays. He is a great all-around player and that is what makes him so good.”
Taylor himself has played a role in the growth process for Gasser, serving as a much-needed mentor and invaluable role model at the guard position.
“He’s been a great leader not only for me but for our whole team,” Gasser said. “Coming in as a freshman guard, he’s kind of the guy I’ve looked up to…Its just fun to play with him, he does things most people cant do, not only from a basketball standpoint, but off the court he handles himself so well.”
Having this great an impact would be special for any freshman, but having grown up just 80 miles from the Kohl Center, doing it at Wisconsin is extra special for Gasser.
“That’s the best thing about this,” Gasser said. “I get to play in front of my home state, in front of my friends and family back home. There’s a lot of Badger fans back in Port Washington because of this.”
Badgers Look Toward Purdue After Big Win
Ted Porath-
The No. 10 Wisconsin men's basketball team (9-3 Big Ten, 19-5 overall), coming off of an upset of previously undefeated and No. 1 Ohio State (which sounds vaguely familiar) and winners of four straight and seven of their last eight games is now faced with the task of moving on from their big win and preparing for a showdown with No. 11 Purdue.
The star of Saturday's game against the Buckeyes was junior point guard Jordan Taylor. After scoring only six points in the first half, Jordan stepped up his game and rattled off 21 points to finish with a game-high 27. For his performances against Iowa and Ohio State, in which he averaged 21.5 points per game and 7.5 assists per game, Taylor was also named Big Ten Player of the Week.
When asked about Jordan's big time play during the latter part of games, coach Ryan was very generous with praise.
"Jordan probably has a better feel than most as to making sure he got a good shot," Ryan said. "There are certain things that you can't teach somebody, I mean they've gotta have that court awareness."
With the Badgers' win over Ohio State, many are wondering whether the emotional toll of the game or the national spotlight the Badgers put themselves in will have an adverse effect on the team. One could say that coach Ryan is a little more than skeptical of this view.
"[The players] know our routine. It'll be right back to doing what we always do," Ryan said. "It's not like this team hasn't played. I mean we're not a 5-20 team that just won on Saturday. These guys have been in these situations."
It is hard not to agree with Ryan on this point. The Badgers are a high-quality team themselves. Tied for second in the Big Ten, and have beaten many great teams, including four in the top 25. This kind of win for the Badgers is definitely not uncharted waters.
The Badgers next opponent will also be very higly touted, in Purdue (9-3 Big Ten, 20-5 overall). Purdue is currently tied with Wisconsin for second in the Big Ten and is coming off a big win at Illinois. This matchup is the 168th meeting between the Badgers and Boilermakers, with Purdue leading the all-time series at West Lafayette 67-16. The two teams have also split their last twelve meetings after Wisconsin won the last matchup 66-59 at the Kohl Center on February 1.
The main player the Badgers will have to stop on Wednesday will be Purdue's center Jajuan Johnson. Johnson scored 23 on the Badgers the last time he played them and left Bo Ryan trying to find the answer that no coach seems to know: how to stop Jajuan Johnson.
"I found it disturbing that nobody else could stop [Johnson]. He is that good," Ryan said. "He can score inside and out now, he faces up a lot better and what he added to that team just by getting better as an individual makes them a better team."
The No. 10 Wisconsin men's basketball team (9-3 Big Ten, 19-5 overall), coming off of an upset of previously undefeated and No. 1 Ohio State (which sounds vaguely familiar) and winners of four straight and seven of their last eight games is now faced with the task of moving on from their big win and preparing for a showdown with No. 11 Purdue.
The star of Saturday's game against the Buckeyes was junior point guard Jordan Taylor. After scoring only six points in the first half, Jordan stepped up his game and rattled off 21 points to finish with a game-high 27. For his performances against Iowa and Ohio State, in which he averaged 21.5 points per game and 7.5 assists per game, Taylor was also named Big Ten Player of the Week.
When asked about Jordan's big time play during the latter part of games, coach Ryan was very generous with praise.
"Jordan probably has a better feel than most as to making sure he got a good shot," Ryan said. "There are certain things that you can't teach somebody, I mean they've gotta have that court awareness."
With the Badgers' win over Ohio State, many are wondering whether the emotional toll of the game or the national spotlight the Badgers put themselves in will have an adverse effect on the team. One could say that coach Ryan is a little more than skeptical of this view.
"[The players] know our routine. It'll be right back to doing what we always do," Ryan said. "It's not like this team hasn't played. I mean we're not a 5-20 team that just won on Saturday. These guys have been in these situations."
It is hard not to agree with Ryan on this point. The Badgers are a high-quality team themselves. Tied for second in the Big Ten, and have beaten many great teams, including four in the top 25. This kind of win for the Badgers is definitely not uncharted waters.
The Badgers next opponent will also be very higly touted, in Purdue (9-3 Big Ten, 20-5 overall). Purdue is currently tied with Wisconsin for second in the Big Ten and is coming off a big win at Illinois. This matchup is the 168th meeting between the Badgers and Boilermakers, with Purdue leading the all-time series at West Lafayette 67-16. The two teams have also split their last twelve meetings after Wisconsin won the last matchup 66-59 at the Kohl Center on February 1.
The main player the Badgers will have to stop on Wednesday will be Purdue's center Jajuan Johnson. Johnson scored 23 on the Badgers the last time he played them and left Bo Ryan trying to find the answer that no coach seems to know: how to stop Jajuan Johnson.
"I found it disturbing that nobody else could stop [Johnson]. He is that good," Ryan said. "He can score inside and out now, he faces up a lot better and what he added to that team just by getting better as an individual makes them a better team."
Sunday, February 13, 2011
It Was Fun the First Time, but This Was History
I’m sure most of you are probably with me when I say that the weekend Wisconsin beat Ohio State back in October was one of the best weekends of our college lives. Not just the game itself, knocking off #1 is always fun, but the atmosphere, the timing, the weather (70 and sunny in October?), Gameday in the morning; that weekend had it all.
Now that we’ve topped a #1 Buckeye team yet again, it feels a little bit different. October was destiny, but this time victory came as a result of nothing short of pure will power.
From the minute David Gilreath took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, you knew it was the Badgers’ night. Ohio State made it a game in the 2nd half, but Wisconsin never trailed and was in control for all 60 minutes.
Looking back on the repeat performance put together by the basketball team, you quickly realize that the similarity end with the opponent and ranking. Beating this #1 was anything beat easy. Though the Badgers held the lead for the majority of the first half, OSU closed on a 9-2 run to take their first lead of the game heading into the half up 28-26.
The run continued into the 2nd half as the Buckeyes looked every bit like the top team in the country during a 19-6 run that seemed to put this one out of reach.
With 13 minutes left back in October, Wisconsin led 21-10. This time they trailed 47-32 and the Buckeyes showed no sign of slowing down.
But once the clock struck lucky number 13, Jordan Taylor decided that he wanted to become a part of the history books. Over the next 3:16 of game time, Taylor led the Badgers on a 15-0 run in which he had 10 points, 1 assist, and another fast break pass that led directly to a foul and 2 Mike Bruesewitz free throws.
In just over 3 minutes, the junior point guard permanently placed himself in Wisconsin basketball lore.
But even after completing arguably the greatest run in UW history, the Badgers found themselves still locked in a brawl with a physical Ohio State team that had plenty of talent to boot.
The Buckeyes responded with a mini-run of their own as freshman Aaron Craft hit 2 long jumpers before David Lighty’s free throws gave OSU a 4 point lead once again heading into the penultimate media timeout.
Even then, I would venture to say that I wasn’t alone in believing that the 15-0 run had simply taken too much out of Taylor and his Badger teammates.
Before I could finish that thought, Taylor hit another three: game on!
Craft responded by drawing a foul but that only set the stage for a 2nd legend to be born on this warm Saturday afternoon in February.
Sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz, known for his scrappy play matched only by an equally sloppy hairdo, was wide open in the corner and Taylor found him.
But Bruesewitz was only shooting 3/17 from downtown in conference play so an open 3 wasn’t exactly a high-percentage shot.
The rest is history. Bruesewitz drained that 3 to ignite perhaps the loudest roar in Kohl Center history and to erase what would be the Buckeyes’ final lead of the afternoon.
Craft finally missed a lay-up attempt at the other end and just like that Keaton Nankivil joined the act with a long 2 that looked like a 3 and yet somehow wasn’t reviewed.
But for a crowd seemingly put out of the equation with the Buckeyes up 15 just minutes earlier, it made no difference as Wisconsin had taken their first lead of the half at 57-55.
After assisting on the buckets by Nankivil and Bruesewitz, Taylor decided to re-join the act, following a Sullinger miss with an awe-inspiring 3 to push the Badger lead to 5 as Thad Matta called another timeout amidst a deafening roar.
As much as it seemed the OSU run had put Wisconsin out of the game, it seemed that the Buckeyes had no chance with the Badgers knocking down everything they saw.
Just as they did back in October, Ohio State made this one interesting. The Badgers pushed the lead to 7 only to see the Buckeyes whittle their way within 2 points with just 58 seconds left.
To take down #1, Wisconsin still needed another big play.
Looking to get Taylor the ball, Wisconsin eventually had to settle for an open Mike Bruesewitz at the top. After a pass fake toward Taylor to draw off the help, Bruesewitz stepped up and knocked down the biggest shot of his career, capping off a 12-point afternoon and putting Wisconsin just 28 seconds away from history.
Though Sullinger’s late offensive rebound and 3-pointer kept things interesting, free throws from Leuer and Taylor gave the Buckeyes no chance after Bruesewitz’s shot as the horn finally sounded and the student section unloaded onto the court to celebrate not only a victory over the top team in the land, but a victory that was arguably one of the most unlikely in program history.
As fun as it was to see the football team take down #1, this defeat of the Buckeyes was truly history unfolding in front of our eyes.
It was just the 6th time in the 100-plus years of Wisconsin basketball that the Badgers had successfully overcome a 15-point deficit and no doubt the most unlikely of the 6.
It was just the 8th time that a school had beaten #1 in both sports, just the 2nd time both had come over that same team, and the first time the same #1 team had fallen in the same city to the same school.
Beating OSU was about more than just basketball and football success, it was a validation of the Wisconsin way.
Both Badger programs have no interest in taking the best talent out there: They don’t recruit players, they recruit teams. In both instances, the paper match-up was very much in the Buckeyes favor.
But because the games aren’t played on paper, both of these Wisconsin teams had a chance to show the nation that will power can go a long way in college athletics. They showed a nation addicted to high school blue chips and big-name recruits that there’s more to building a successful college program than five-star signings and backroom dealings.
Jordan Taylor, now suddenly thrust into the spotlight after the rest of the nation came to realize what those of us in Madison have known for some time, is the epitome of the Wisconsin way.
Taylor had no interest in going anywhere but Wisconsin and as harsh as it sounds, no one but Wisconsin really had all that much interest in him.
Just another one of the many three-star, “mid-level” recruits that Bo Ryan had slotted into his program, Taylor has improved consistently over his three years in Madison and is now deserving of a place among the nation’s best point guards.
Senior forward Jon Leuer has undergone a similar development as has virtually every player on the team. Bo Ryan has proven that he can win not by bringing in the best players, but by building Wisconsin players into the best through hard work and top-notch coaching.
As fans, it is so much more rewarding to see the four-year process of developing talent than it would be to see that talent brought in for a year’s rent only to see an entire lineup leave for the draft after every season.
While the NCAA title might not yet be a part of it, Ryan’s resume speaks for itself and its nice to see that finally validated after this victory under the national spotlight.
150-11 at home, NCAA tournament appearances in each of his 9 seasons, 5 Big Ten championships, and most importantly, college degrees for each and every one of his players.
Ryan is one of the few coaches who never loses sight of the full meaning of student-athlete and that is something the entire Wisconsin community should be proud of, perhaps even more so than the conference titles or the NCAA appearances.
Between his time in Platteville, Milwaukee, and now in Madison, Bo Ryan has built a Hall of Fame resume by staying true to that philosophy, a philosophy that is dying across much of the college basketball landscape since the NBA changed its eligibility rules to limit draft eligibility to those 19 or older.
Saturday was a validation of that philosophy.
Proving the naysayers wrong the first time may have been fun, but this time around it was nothing short of history.
Now that we’ve topped a #1 Buckeye team yet again, it feels a little bit different. October was destiny, but this time victory came as a result of nothing short of pure will power.
From the minute David Gilreath took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, you knew it was the Badgers’ night. Ohio State made it a game in the 2nd half, but Wisconsin never trailed and was in control for all 60 minutes.
Looking back on the repeat performance put together by the basketball team, you quickly realize that the similarity end with the opponent and ranking. Beating this #1 was anything beat easy. Though the Badgers held the lead for the majority of the first half, OSU closed on a 9-2 run to take their first lead of the game heading into the half up 28-26.
The run continued into the 2nd half as the Buckeyes looked every bit like the top team in the country during a 19-6 run that seemed to put this one out of reach.
With 13 minutes left back in October, Wisconsin led 21-10. This time they trailed 47-32 and the Buckeyes showed no sign of slowing down.
But once the clock struck lucky number 13, Jordan Taylor decided that he wanted to become a part of the history books. Over the next 3:16 of game time, Taylor led the Badgers on a 15-0 run in which he had 10 points, 1 assist, and another fast break pass that led directly to a foul and 2 Mike Bruesewitz free throws.
In just over 3 minutes, the junior point guard permanently placed himself in Wisconsin basketball lore.
But even after completing arguably the greatest run in UW history, the Badgers found themselves still locked in a brawl with a physical Ohio State team that had plenty of talent to boot.
The Buckeyes responded with a mini-run of their own as freshman Aaron Craft hit 2 long jumpers before David Lighty’s free throws gave OSU a 4 point lead once again heading into the penultimate media timeout.
Even then, I would venture to say that I wasn’t alone in believing that the 15-0 run had simply taken too much out of Taylor and his Badger teammates.
Before I could finish that thought, Taylor hit another three: game on!
Craft responded by drawing a foul but that only set the stage for a 2nd legend to be born on this warm Saturday afternoon in February.
Sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz, known for his scrappy play matched only by an equally sloppy hairdo, was wide open in the corner and Taylor found him.
But Bruesewitz was only shooting 3/17 from downtown in conference play so an open 3 wasn’t exactly a high-percentage shot.
The rest is history. Bruesewitz drained that 3 to ignite perhaps the loudest roar in Kohl Center history and to erase what would be the Buckeyes’ final lead of the afternoon.
Craft finally missed a lay-up attempt at the other end and just like that Keaton Nankivil joined the act with a long 2 that looked like a 3 and yet somehow wasn’t reviewed.
But for a crowd seemingly put out of the equation with the Buckeyes up 15 just minutes earlier, it made no difference as Wisconsin had taken their first lead of the half at 57-55.
After assisting on the buckets by Nankivil and Bruesewitz, Taylor decided to re-join the act, following a Sullinger miss with an awe-inspiring 3 to push the Badger lead to 5 as Thad Matta called another timeout amidst a deafening roar.
As much as it seemed the OSU run had put Wisconsin out of the game, it seemed that the Buckeyes had no chance with the Badgers knocking down everything they saw.
Just as they did back in October, Ohio State made this one interesting. The Badgers pushed the lead to 7 only to see the Buckeyes whittle their way within 2 points with just 58 seconds left.
To take down #1, Wisconsin still needed another big play.
Looking to get Taylor the ball, Wisconsin eventually had to settle for an open Mike Bruesewitz at the top. After a pass fake toward Taylor to draw off the help, Bruesewitz stepped up and knocked down the biggest shot of his career, capping off a 12-point afternoon and putting Wisconsin just 28 seconds away from history.
Though Sullinger’s late offensive rebound and 3-pointer kept things interesting, free throws from Leuer and Taylor gave the Buckeyes no chance after Bruesewitz’s shot as the horn finally sounded and the student section unloaded onto the court to celebrate not only a victory over the top team in the land, but a victory that was arguably one of the most unlikely in program history.
As fun as it was to see the football team take down #1, this defeat of the Buckeyes was truly history unfolding in front of our eyes.
It was just the 6th time in the 100-plus years of Wisconsin basketball that the Badgers had successfully overcome a 15-point deficit and no doubt the most unlikely of the 6.
It was just the 8th time that a school had beaten #1 in both sports, just the 2nd time both had come over that same team, and the first time the same #1 team had fallen in the same city to the same school.
Beating OSU was about more than just basketball and football success, it was a validation of the Wisconsin way.
Both Badger programs have no interest in taking the best talent out there: They don’t recruit players, they recruit teams. In both instances, the paper match-up was very much in the Buckeyes favor.
But because the games aren’t played on paper, both of these Wisconsin teams had a chance to show the nation that will power can go a long way in college athletics. They showed a nation addicted to high school blue chips and big-name recruits that there’s more to building a successful college program than five-star signings and backroom dealings.
Jordan Taylor, now suddenly thrust into the spotlight after the rest of the nation came to realize what those of us in Madison have known for some time, is the epitome of the Wisconsin way.
Taylor had no interest in going anywhere but Wisconsin and as harsh as it sounds, no one but Wisconsin really had all that much interest in him.
Just another one of the many three-star, “mid-level” recruits that Bo Ryan had slotted into his program, Taylor has improved consistently over his three years in Madison and is now deserving of a place among the nation’s best point guards.
Senior forward Jon Leuer has undergone a similar development as has virtually every player on the team. Bo Ryan has proven that he can win not by bringing in the best players, but by building Wisconsin players into the best through hard work and top-notch coaching.
As fans, it is so much more rewarding to see the four-year process of developing talent than it would be to see that talent brought in for a year’s rent only to see an entire lineup leave for the draft after every season.
While the NCAA title might not yet be a part of it, Ryan’s resume speaks for itself and its nice to see that finally validated after this victory under the national spotlight.
150-11 at home, NCAA tournament appearances in each of his 9 seasons, 5 Big Ten championships, and most importantly, college degrees for each and every one of his players.
Ryan is one of the few coaches who never loses sight of the full meaning of student-athlete and that is something the entire Wisconsin community should be proud of, perhaps even more so than the conference titles or the NCAA appearances.
Between his time in Platteville, Milwaukee, and now in Madison, Bo Ryan has built a Hall of Fame resume by staying true to that philosophy, a philosophy that is dying across much of the college basketball landscape since the NBA changed its eligibility rules to limit draft eligibility to those 19 or older.
Saturday was a validation of that philosophy.
Proving the naysayers wrong the first time may have been fun, but this time around it was nothing short of history.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Deja OSU
n Saturday's clear-cut marquee match-up, the No. 14 Wisconsin men's basketball team stunned top-ranked and previously unbeaten Ohio State (21-1 Big Ten, 24-1 overall) by finishing the game on a 39-20 run to pick up a 71-67 victory.
With the victory, Wisconsin becomes just the eighth school to take down a top-ranked team in both football and basketball during the same school year and just the secondto do so against the same school (Florida pulled the trick against Ohio State in 2006-‘07).
Sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz might have made the play of the game with a clutch three in the final minute, but junior guard Jordan Taylor left little doubt about player of the game honors. After struggling to just six first-half points, Taylor shined in the second half, leading the Badger comeback with 21 second half points including 10 over a three minute stretch that ultimately saw UW erase a 15 point deficit with a 15-0 run.
"We just had to toughen up," Taylor said. "They made a run and we knew we had a run in us."
If there were any doubters about Taylor's rightful place as one of the nation's best, this 27-point, seven assist, four-rebound performance should silence them now.
"What he did there," UW head coach Bo Ryan said. "I don't think there's too many players in the country, not just this year but all time, who've done that, especially against the number one team."
What shined through in Saturday's win was the resiliency that, by all accounts, defines this year's Wisconsin squad. The Badgers not only overcame a double-digit deficit against the top team in the nation, but did so just three days after battling their way to an overtime victory in Iowa City against the struggling Hawkeyes.
"To do what they did and have those kind of legs and arms, to have Ohio State get the lead they got and then get the lead ourselves," Ryan added. "I don't know what else you can say about these guys about how tough they are."
As many expected, the crowd played a huge role in bringing down the Buckeyes. While a Buckeye run early in the second half seemed to knock the crowd out of it, Taylor responded with back-to-back threes to cut the lead to seven with 11:22 left. More importantly, however, he brought the raucous crowd back onto their feet.
"He came down and gave us back-to-back threes and got us right back into it," senior forward Jon Leuer said. "From there, we had the momentum, you could just feel the energy in the building."
Averaging over 18 points a game coming into Saturday, Leuer struggled against a physical Ohio State front line that held the Naismith Award candidate to just 12 points and six rebounds on 5 of 14 shooting.
Even with Taylor's career day, Leuer's struggles made the contributions from Bruesewitz and freshman guard Josh Gasser crucial in the Badgers' seventeenth straight home victory.
"We talked about having [Bruesewitz] be the guy who beats us," Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said after the game. "And today, he did."
In addition to Bruesewitz's 12 crucial points off the bench (capped off by the aforementioned three-pointed), Gasser once again stepped up when needed most, going for 11 points and seven rebounds. Not counted in those stats, though, was a pivotal tip late in the ballgame that allowed Leuer to secure an offensive rebound and maintain possession.
"He makes those kinds of plays all the time that you might not see in the box score," Leuer said. "But he's the kind of kid who's hard-nosed and sticks his face into the ball."
Despite the late drama, the energy of the crowd suggested very few of the 17,000 plus that packed the Kohl Center would have imagined the comeback possible when the Buckeye lead stood at 47-32. But somehow, someway, the badgers found a way to win with their backs against the wall, completing just the sixth comeback of 15-points or more in program history.
While the Badgers are certainly going to celebrate the win, they already have an eye on a road test against Purdue coming up Wednesday night.
"This was a huge win for us to keep moving forward but we're not done yet," Leuer added. "We feel like we still have a lot of work left to do and we're just trying to get better every day so we can be playing our best basketball down the stretch."
With the victory, Wisconsin becomes just the eighth school to take down a top-ranked team in both football and basketball during the same school year and just the secondto do so against the same school (Florida pulled the trick against Ohio State in 2006-‘07).
Sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz might have made the play of the game with a clutch three in the final minute, but junior guard Jordan Taylor left little doubt about player of the game honors. After struggling to just six first-half points, Taylor shined in the second half, leading the Badger comeback with 21 second half points including 10 over a three minute stretch that ultimately saw UW erase a 15 point deficit with a 15-0 run.
"We just had to toughen up," Taylor said. "They made a run and we knew we had a run in us."
If there were any doubters about Taylor's rightful place as one of the nation's best, this 27-point, seven assist, four-rebound performance should silence them now.
"What he did there," UW head coach Bo Ryan said. "I don't think there's too many players in the country, not just this year but all time, who've done that, especially against the number one team."
What shined through in Saturday's win was the resiliency that, by all accounts, defines this year's Wisconsin squad. The Badgers not only overcame a double-digit deficit against the top team in the nation, but did so just three days after battling their way to an overtime victory in Iowa City against the struggling Hawkeyes.
"To do what they did and have those kind of legs and arms, to have Ohio State get the lead they got and then get the lead ourselves," Ryan added. "I don't know what else you can say about these guys about how tough they are."
As many expected, the crowd played a huge role in bringing down the Buckeyes. While a Buckeye run early in the second half seemed to knock the crowd out of it, Taylor responded with back-to-back threes to cut the lead to seven with 11:22 left. More importantly, however, he brought the raucous crowd back onto their feet.
"He came down and gave us back-to-back threes and got us right back into it," senior forward Jon Leuer said. "From there, we had the momentum, you could just feel the energy in the building."
Averaging over 18 points a game coming into Saturday, Leuer struggled against a physical Ohio State front line that held the Naismith Award candidate to just 12 points and six rebounds on 5 of 14 shooting.
Even with Taylor's career day, Leuer's struggles made the contributions from Bruesewitz and freshman guard Josh Gasser crucial in the Badgers' seventeenth straight home victory.
"We talked about having [Bruesewitz] be the guy who beats us," Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said after the game. "And today, he did."
In addition to Bruesewitz's 12 crucial points off the bench (capped off by the aforementioned three-pointed), Gasser once again stepped up when needed most, going for 11 points and seven rebounds. Not counted in those stats, though, was a pivotal tip late in the ballgame that allowed Leuer to secure an offensive rebound and maintain possession.
"He makes those kinds of plays all the time that you might not see in the box score," Leuer said. "But he's the kind of kid who's hard-nosed and sticks his face into the ball."
Despite the late drama, the energy of the crowd suggested very few of the 17,000 plus that packed the Kohl Center would have imagined the comeback possible when the Buckeye lead stood at 47-32. But somehow, someway, the badgers found a way to win with their backs against the wall, completing just the sixth comeback of 15-points or more in program history.
While the Badgers are certainly going to celebrate the win, they already have an eye on a road test against Purdue coming up Wednesday night.
"This was a huge win for us to keep moving forward but we're not done yet," Leuer added. "We feel like we still have a lot of work left to do and we're just trying to get better every day so we can be playing our best basketball down the stretch."
Friday, February 11, 2011
Here We Go Again
It might not be 70 degrees and sunny this time around, but I will venture to say that it wont be any colder inside the Kohl Center tomorrow afternoon than it was the last time a top-ranked Buckeye team tried to get a W in Madtown.
Despite the little matter of having to survive a road scare in Iowa City on Wednesday night, there is no doubt that this Wisconsin team, along with the rest of the Badger nation, has had this one on the mind all week.
Ohio State is a behemoth. A Naismith candidate in freshman big man Jared Sullinger, a trio of veteran stars in Jon Diebler, William Buford, and David Lighty, and a not-so-unimportant freshman point guard in Aaron Craft who has had a knack for coming up big when the Buckeyes need him most.
As much as I hate to admit it, OSU doesnt have a weakness. They have a young star, they have the experience to support him, they can shoot the ball, play physical defense, run the floor, slow it down, and by the way, they are one of the most disciplined teams in college basketball.
Even with two of the best players in the country, UW will have to play a flawless game to come out of the Kohl Center with their 16th straight home win.
But as poor as the chances might seem on paper, the key to this matchup is pure and simple: Its in Madison.
Though far from alone, Ohio State has struggled in Madison since the opening of the Kohl Center. The Buckeyes, despite having several highly-ranked squads, hasnt won in Madtown since December 31, 2000, a full year before Bo Ryan took the reins of the Badger program. Add in the fact that no ranked Wisconsin team has lost to Ohio State at home and you can see why many already believe that the mismatch on paper wont necessarily translate into reality.
With the season now hitting its apex, there should be no shortage of emotion in a packed Kohl Center tomorrow afternoon. For OSU, the obvious motivation to stay undefeated should have them charged up to prove those final naysayers wrong and extend what is already the longest winning streak to start a season following the loss of a National Player of the Year.
But for this Badger program, Saturday is an opportunity to make a statement. For a team barely included in the preseason top 25, the chance to take down #1 and move to 19-5, in an outside position for a top seed in the tournament, there really is nothing to lose and everything to gain for Wisconsin.
Despite the history between these two programs, a history that dates back to Ohio State's 25-22 win in 1905, Saturday is all about the guys on the floor. Star power, media attention, a pumped-up student section: This is what college sports are all about.
So is is gametime yet?
Despite the little matter of having to survive a road scare in Iowa City on Wednesday night, there is no doubt that this Wisconsin team, along with the rest of the Badger nation, has had this one on the mind all week.
Ohio State is a behemoth. A Naismith candidate in freshman big man Jared Sullinger, a trio of veteran stars in Jon Diebler, William Buford, and David Lighty, and a not-so-unimportant freshman point guard in Aaron Craft who has had a knack for coming up big when the Buckeyes need him most.
As much as I hate to admit it, OSU doesnt have a weakness. They have a young star, they have the experience to support him, they can shoot the ball, play physical defense, run the floor, slow it down, and by the way, they are one of the most disciplined teams in college basketball.
Even with two of the best players in the country, UW will have to play a flawless game to come out of the Kohl Center with their 16th straight home win.
But as poor as the chances might seem on paper, the key to this matchup is pure and simple: Its in Madison.
Though far from alone, Ohio State has struggled in Madison since the opening of the Kohl Center. The Buckeyes, despite having several highly-ranked squads, hasnt won in Madtown since December 31, 2000, a full year before Bo Ryan took the reins of the Badger program. Add in the fact that no ranked Wisconsin team has lost to Ohio State at home and you can see why many already believe that the mismatch on paper wont necessarily translate into reality.
With the season now hitting its apex, there should be no shortage of emotion in a packed Kohl Center tomorrow afternoon. For OSU, the obvious motivation to stay undefeated should have them charged up to prove those final naysayers wrong and extend what is already the longest winning streak to start a season following the loss of a National Player of the Year.
But for this Badger program, Saturday is an opportunity to make a statement. For a team barely included in the preseason top 25, the chance to take down #1 and move to 19-5, in an outside position for a top seed in the tournament, there really is nothing to lose and everything to gain for Wisconsin.
Despite the history between these two programs, a history that dates back to Ohio State's 25-22 win in 1905, Saturday is all about the guys on the floor. Star power, media attention, a pumped-up student section: This is what college sports are all about.
So is is gametime yet?
Badgers Look for Deja Vu as Buckeyes Come To Town
After surviving a crucial road test at Iowa on Wednesday night, Wisconsin (18-5, 8-3) has finally set their sights on taking down #1. With the anticipation as high as ever, the undefeated Buckeyes will try to win in Madison for the first time since Bo Ryan took over as UW’s head coach in 2001.
In addition to having a perfect record of 24-0 (11-0 in the Big Ten), Ohio State possesses what many consider to be a perfect roster, seemingly devoid of any glaring weakness. But despite bringing a mix of veteran experience and freshman talent unparalleled in college basketball, the Buckeyes face a Wisconsin team that is dominant at home.
“We know our fans are going to come out and support us…” senior forward Jon Leuer said. “We’re just gonna go out here and prepare as well as we can and stick to what we do well.”
After losing National Player of the Year Evan Turner to the NBA following last season, the Buckeyes have turned to a plethora of freshman talent to keep them not only competitive in the conference, but downright dominant thus far.
“You don’t expect them to produce right away, but Ohio State has three great freshman,” UW freshman guard Josh Gasser said Thursday. “They take their team to the next level.”
Chief among these “Diaper Dandy’s” is a candidate to succeed Turner as POY, Jared Sullinger. Following in the footsteps of older brother JJ, a former Buckeye standout himself, the 6’9” freshman has quickly made a name for himself by averaging 18 points and just over 10 rebounds a game while also becoming the first OSU freshman to score 40 points in a game posting that number in a tough win over IUPUI earlier in the season.
“His skill set, the number of things he can do on the court: He can shoot a little bit and his footwork is so good…” senior forward Keaton Nankivil said. “Defense, offense, rebounding: everything about him is impressive.”
Though it will be crucial that Nankivil, Leuer, and others limit Sullinger’s production, the Buckeyes are more than just a single superstar. Veterans David Lighty, Jon Diebler, and William Buford are all averaging in double figures scoring and freshmen DeShaun Thomas and Aaron Craft have made significant contributions as well, especially in key situations.
But just as it was with Bret Bielema’s team back in October, the key to success for the Badgers ultimately falls squarely on their ability to do what they do best. Ohio State’s athleticism will make it difficult for UW to slow the pace of the game to the level they would prefer.
Though it may seem on paper that OSU is unbeatable, the sixth man impact that an electrified Kohl Center crowd will no doubt provide is sure to even things out and is why many see Saturday as the date the Buckeyes are destined to finally fall.
For Wisconsin though, its just another game.
“Its just business as usual,” Leuer said. “We know they’re a tough team, we know they’re talented, they’re well coached… But we’ve faced a lot of tough competition over the past 4 years so its nothing different for us.”
In addition to having a perfect record of 24-0 (11-0 in the Big Ten), Ohio State possesses what many consider to be a perfect roster, seemingly devoid of any glaring weakness. But despite bringing a mix of veteran experience and freshman talent unparalleled in college basketball, the Buckeyes face a Wisconsin team that is dominant at home.
“We know our fans are going to come out and support us…” senior forward Jon Leuer said. “We’re just gonna go out here and prepare as well as we can and stick to what we do well.”
After losing National Player of the Year Evan Turner to the NBA following last season, the Buckeyes have turned to a plethora of freshman talent to keep them not only competitive in the conference, but downright dominant thus far.
“You don’t expect them to produce right away, but Ohio State has three great freshman,” UW freshman guard Josh Gasser said Thursday. “They take their team to the next level.”
Chief among these “Diaper Dandy’s” is a candidate to succeed Turner as POY, Jared Sullinger. Following in the footsteps of older brother JJ, a former Buckeye standout himself, the 6’9” freshman has quickly made a name for himself by averaging 18 points and just over 10 rebounds a game while also becoming the first OSU freshman to score 40 points in a game posting that number in a tough win over IUPUI earlier in the season.
“His skill set, the number of things he can do on the court: He can shoot a little bit and his footwork is so good…” senior forward Keaton Nankivil said. “Defense, offense, rebounding: everything about him is impressive.”
Though it will be crucial that Nankivil, Leuer, and others limit Sullinger’s production, the Buckeyes are more than just a single superstar. Veterans David Lighty, Jon Diebler, and William Buford are all averaging in double figures scoring and freshmen DeShaun Thomas and Aaron Craft have made significant contributions as well, especially in key situations.
But just as it was with Bret Bielema’s team back in October, the key to success for the Badgers ultimately falls squarely on their ability to do what they do best. Ohio State’s athleticism will make it difficult for UW to slow the pace of the game to the level they would prefer.
Though it may seem on paper that OSU is unbeatable, the sixth man impact that an electrified Kohl Center crowd will no doubt provide is sure to even things out and is why many see Saturday as the date the Buckeyes are destined to finally fall.
For Wisconsin though, its just another game.
“Its just business as usual,” Leuer said. “We know they’re a tough team, we know they’re talented, they’re well coached… But we’ve faced a lot of tough competition over the past 4 years so its nothing different for us.”
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wisconsin Escapes Iowa City OT Thriller
Sam Sussman-
Madison, along with the rest of the country, is buzzing about the Badgers' showdown this Sunday with No. 1 Ohio State to keep Wisconsin's Big Ten title hopes alive. Before that, however, the Badger men's basketball team (8-3 Big Ten, 18-5 overall) first had to win on the road Wednesday against Iowa.
Thanks to junior guard Jordan Taylor's clutch heroics, Wisconsin defeated a spirited Hawkeyes sqaud (3-9, 10-14) squad 62-59 in overtime. Although Iowa sits tied for last place in the Big Ten, they came into Wednesday's game with back-to-back wins against Michigan State and Indiana, earning consecutive Big Ten wins for the first time since 2007.
The head-to-head record coming into Wednesday's matchup was an even 76-76 between Wisconsin and Iowa, following last year's 27-point Badger domination at the Kohl Center. However, the two teams' previous meeting resulted in an overtime win for the Hawkeyes
Wisconsin escaped with an overtime win Wednesday, and there was never a relaxed moment. The contest was a defensive stalemate from the opening tip, with physical play from Iowa junior forward Jarryd Cole and freshman forward Melsahn Basabe.
"They were doing all the right things, taking away some cuts, doing what they needed to be doing," Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. "It was very difficult to get a good look at the basket."
The combination of Iowa's stifling defense, which forced six turnovers and had four blocks, and the Badgers' ice cold offensive performance led to Iowa's 23-18 halftime lead.
In the second half, the tide turned and the Badgers showed why they are a Top 15 team. Wisconsin, who has the fewest turnovers per game in the nation, gave the ball away only two times in the second half. The Badgers' shooting percentage skyrocketed as well, from 18 percent in the first half to 51 percent in the second.
"For the most part, if you're confident in your shot, it's a good shot," Taylor said.
Taylor totaled 16 points and eight assists and senior forward Jon Leuer amassed 19 points 15 boards.
After a seesaw game all night, the Badgers found themselves down two points with less than 40 seconds remaining in regulation.
As a freshman playing at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 2009, Taylor nailed his first career three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Two years later, he knocked down a step back jumper to tie the game at 53 with 28 seconds left.
"He absorbs it, he makes the calls in the huddles, on the dead balls, and he makes the call coming out of the timeouts," Ryan said. "He's just a leader, and he is getting better."
After junior Iowa guard Bryce Cartwright, this season's Big Ten assist leader, missed a three at the end of regulation, the Badgers and Hawkeyes were forced to settle the score with five more minutes on the floor.
The overtime period started with a Taylor three-pointer and was sealed when freshman guard Josh Gasser jumped on a loose ball and called timeout with 8.7 seconds remaining.
"There are going to be nights when shots aren't going down and offensively it's going to be tough, but we always control how hard we work on defense," Leuer said.
Madison, along with the rest of the country, is buzzing about the Badgers' showdown this Sunday with No. 1 Ohio State to keep Wisconsin's Big Ten title hopes alive. Before that, however, the Badger men's basketball team (8-3 Big Ten, 18-5 overall) first had to win on the road Wednesday against Iowa.
Thanks to junior guard Jordan Taylor's clutch heroics, Wisconsin defeated a spirited Hawkeyes sqaud (3-9, 10-14) squad 62-59 in overtime. Although Iowa sits tied for last place in the Big Ten, they came into Wednesday's game with back-to-back wins against Michigan State and Indiana, earning consecutive Big Ten wins for the first time since 2007.
The head-to-head record coming into Wednesday's matchup was an even 76-76 between Wisconsin and Iowa, following last year's 27-point Badger domination at the Kohl Center. However, the two teams' previous meeting resulted in an overtime win for the Hawkeyes
Wisconsin escaped with an overtime win Wednesday, and there was never a relaxed moment. The contest was a defensive stalemate from the opening tip, with physical play from Iowa junior forward Jarryd Cole and freshman forward Melsahn Basabe.
"They were doing all the right things, taking away some cuts, doing what they needed to be doing," Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. "It was very difficult to get a good look at the basket."
The combination of Iowa's stifling defense, which forced six turnovers and had four blocks, and the Badgers' ice cold offensive performance led to Iowa's 23-18 halftime lead.
In the second half, the tide turned and the Badgers showed why they are a Top 15 team. Wisconsin, who has the fewest turnovers per game in the nation, gave the ball away only two times in the second half. The Badgers' shooting percentage skyrocketed as well, from 18 percent in the first half to 51 percent in the second.
"For the most part, if you're confident in your shot, it's a good shot," Taylor said.
Taylor totaled 16 points and eight assists and senior forward Jon Leuer amassed 19 points 15 boards.
After a seesaw game all night, the Badgers found themselves down two points with less than 40 seconds remaining in regulation.
As a freshman playing at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 2009, Taylor nailed his first career three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Two years later, he knocked down a step back jumper to tie the game at 53 with 28 seconds left.
"He absorbs it, he makes the calls in the huddles, on the dead balls, and he makes the call coming out of the timeouts," Ryan said. "He's just a leader, and he is getting better."
After junior Iowa guard Bryce Cartwright, this season's Big Ten assist leader, missed a three at the end of regulation, the Badgers and Hawkeyes were forced to settle the score with five more minutes on the floor.
The overtime period started with a Taylor three-pointer and was sealed when freshman guard Josh Gasser jumped on a loose ball and called timeout with 8.7 seconds remaining.
"There are going to be nights when shots aren't going down and offensively it's going to be tough, but we always control how hard we work on defense," Leuer said.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Taylor Leads the Charge in Statement Win over Spartans
Looking for revenge after a tough overtime loss last month in East Lansing, the Badgers certainly did their best to make amends as they pulled away to an 82-56 win Sunday at the Kohl Center.
Michigan State (13-10, 5-6) never led in this one, trailing the entire way in after the first of 3 three-point shots went down for senior forward Keaton Nankivil, giving the Badgers a 5-2 lead less the two minutes in.
Though Nankivil finished with 11 big points for Wisconsin (17-5, 7-3), this one was all about junior guard Jordan Taylor. Finally getting consideration as one of the nation’s top players, Taylor took advantage of having the national spotlight shining down on him as he posted a career-high 30 points to go along with 6 assists to just one turnover.
“I know he’s improved his game, but today was at another level…” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said. “I think he played like one of the best guards in the country, not in the Big Ten, today.”
After missing three of his first four field goal attempts, the Cousy Award finalist knocked down 8 of his final 9 shots, finishing 9/13 from the field including 3 of 4 from downtown.
“I’ve got confidence in my teammates and they’ve got confidence in me…” Taylor said. “If you’re confident in it, it should be a good shot.”
With Michigan State trailing just 10-9 seven minutes in, a Tim Jarmusz three-pointer seemed to be the early dagger in the heart of the Spartans, marking the start of a 14-2 Badger run that put this one to bed.
While Taylor and senior forward Jon Leuer (20 points, 6 rebounds) accounted for 50 of UW’s 82 points, the offensive production was spread around. All 5 Badger starters finished with at least 5 points, with 3 posting double digits as the team shot a collective 59% from the field.
“We made some tough shots today,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “Michigan State was guarding the heck out of us.”
“If they shoot like that, they’ll win the national championship,” Izzo added. “They’ve got some depth and a guard who’s playing as well as anyone in the country.”
Now losers of 4 of 5, the Spartans are on the brink of seeing a once-promising season head down a slippery slope that could spell the end of their 13-year NCAA tournament streak, the longest in the Big Ten and third longest in the nation.
Meanwhile, the Badgers have officially gotten itself back into the national conversation and have even reclaimed an outside chance at a Big Ten title.
“Since that Michigan State loss (on January 11), we’ve taken it upon ourselves to create an identity…” Nankivil said. “I think in the games we’ve had since then, for the most part, we’ve done a better job of playing the way we want to play and the way we play best.”
With undefeated and #1 Ohio State set to visit the Kohl Center on Saturday, the Badgers have to focus on getting a road win against an improved Iowa team on Wednesday in a game that screams of trap game. But if today’s performance is any indication, this is a team focused squarely at the task at hand.
Michigan State (13-10, 5-6) never led in this one, trailing the entire way in after the first of 3 three-point shots went down for senior forward Keaton Nankivil, giving the Badgers a 5-2 lead less the two minutes in.
Though Nankivil finished with 11 big points for Wisconsin (17-5, 7-3), this one was all about junior guard Jordan Taylor. Finally getting consideration as one of the nation’s top players, Taylor took advantage of having the national spotlight shining down on him as he posted a career-high 30 points to go along with 6 assists to just one turnover.
“I know he’s improved his game, but today was at another level…” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said. “I think he played like one of the best guards in the country, not in the Big Ten, today.”
After missing three of his first four field goal attempts, the Cousy Award finalist knocked down 8 of his final 9 shots, finishing 9/13 from the field including 3 of 4 from downtown.
“I’ve got confidence in my teammates and they’ve got confidence in me…” Taylor said. “If you’re confident in it, it should be a good shot.”
With Michigan State trailing just 10-9 seven minutes in, a Tim Jarmusz three-pointer seemed to be the early dagger in the heart of the Spartans, marking the start of a 14-2 Badger run that put this one to bed.
While Taylor and senior forward Jon Leuer (20 points, 6 rebounds) accounted for 50 of UW’s 82 points, the offensive production was spread around. All 5 Badger starters finished with at least 5 points, with 3 posting double digits as the team shot a collective 59% from the field.
“We made some tough shots today,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “Michigan State was guarding the heck out of us.”
“If they shoot like that, they’ll win the national championship,” Izzo added. “They’ve got some depth and a guard who’s playing as well as anyone in the country.”
Now losers of 4 of 5, the Spartans are on the brink of seeing a once-promising season head down a slippery slope that could spell the end of their 13-year NCAA tournament streak, the longest in the Big Ten and third longest in the nation.
Meanwhile, the Badgers have officially gotten itself back into the national conversation and have even reclaimed an outside chance at a Big Ten title.
“Since that Michigan State loss (on January 11), we’ve taken it upon ourselves to create an identity…” Nankivil said. “I think in the games we’ve had since then, for the most part, we’ve done a better job of playing the way we want to play and the way we play best.”
With undefeated and #1 Ohio State set to visit the Kohl Center on Saturday, the Badgers have to focus on getting a road win against an improved Iowa team on Wednesday in a game that screams of trap game. But if today’s performance is any indication, this is a team focused squarely at the task at hand.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Wisconsin To Duel With Michigan State in Kohl Center Rematch
Sam Sussman-
After a heartbreaking overtime loss in East Lansing earlier this season, the Badgers seek revenge when the Michigan State Spartans invade the Kohl Center this Sunday.
"We've usually given ourselves a chance to win by making the other team play from behind," Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said.
Ryan's defensive-minded philosophy to play from ahead creates a Wisconsin team that is nearly unbeatable at home. Ryan boasts a 147-11 home record, including a 74-6 record against in-conference foes, during his time as Wisconsin's head coach. This year, the Badgers have only added to Ryan's success at the Kohl Center, winning all 15 of their home games.
"Any time you have 17,000-plus cheering for you, it's going to give you an extra boost of energy," senior forward Tim Jarmusz said. "You feel more comfortable because you know the atmosphere."
The home-court advantage was certainly on display Tuesday night when Wisconsin defeated over No. 10 Purdue. Coming off a close loss at Penn State, the Badgers needed the Kohl Center crowd to claim a 66-59 victory over the Boilermakers. Senior forward Jon Leuer tallied game-highs with 24 points and 13 rebounds, junior guard Jordan Taylor added 15 points and sophomore forward Ryan Evans finished off Purdue with a few clutch plays in the final minute.
A quintessential Wisconsin first half had the Badgers entering the locker room with a 27-19 advantage. However, the Boilermakers would not go away; Purdue racked up 40 points in the second half against the Badgers' top ranked Big Ten defense and even claimed a seven-point lead with 11:37 left in the game. Then, the home-court took over.
"You need to be able to play the last couple minutes of the game," Purdue head coach Matt Painter said.
This season's initial matchup between the Badgers and the Spartans was eerily similar to Wisconsin's most recent test with Purdue. The only differences were the Badgers were the road team and, more importantly, that Michigan State came to play down the stretch.
The Badgers opened up a 19-7 lead nearly a month ago in East Lansing. Over the remainder of the game, the Badgers lost their composure, turning the ball over a season-high 11 times and allowing Michigan State to end regulation on a 9-0 run.
Do not expect many similarities in Sunday's rematch. Both the Badgers and the Spartans are entirely different teams. The Spartans were a Big Ten frontrunner with a 3-1 conference record; now they are fighting to make the tournament and playing without suspended junior guard and team assist-leader Korie Lucious.
The Badgers were fighting for nationwide recognition; now they are a legitimate top-20 team coming off of four wins in their past five games. Contrastingly, Michigan State has lost four of their last five games, including Wednesday's 20-point shellacking to Big Ten bottom feeder, Iowa.
While the script may be different heading into Sunday's rematch, the end goal remains the same.
"Whether you're on the road or at home, a win is a win and a loss is a loss," Taylor said.
After a heartbreaking overtime loss in East Lansing earlier this season, the Badgers seek revenge when the Michigan State Spartans invade the Kohl Center this Sunday.
"We've usually given ourselves a chance to win by making the other team play from behind," Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said.
Ryan's defensive-minded philosophy to play from ahead creates a Wisconsin team that is nearly unbeatable at home. Ryan boasts a 147-11 home record, including a 74-6 record against in-conference foes, during his time as Wisconsin's head coach. This year, the Badgers have only added to Ryan's success at the Kohl Center, winning all 15 of their home games.
"Any time you have 17,000-plus cheering for you, it's going to give you an extra boost of energy," senior forward Tim Jarmusz said. "You feel more comfortable because you know the atmosphere."
The home-court advantage was certainly on display Tuesday night when Wisconsin defeated over No. 10 Purdue. Coming off a close loss at Penn State, the Badgers needed the Kohl Center crowd to claim a 66-59 victory over the Boilermakers. Senior forward Jon Leuer tallied game-highs with 24 points and 13 rebounds, junior guard Jordan Taylor added 15 points and sophomore forward Ryan Evans finished off Purdue with a few clutch plays in the final minute.
A quintessential Wisconsin first half had the Badgers entering the locker room with a 27-19 advantage. However, the Boilermakers would not go away; Purdue racked up 40 points in the second half against the Badgers' top ranked Big Ten defense and even claimed a seven-point lead with 11:37 left in the game. Then, the home-court took over.
"You need to be able to play the last couple minutes of the game," Purdue head coach Matt Painter said.
This season's initial matchup between the Badgers and the Spartans was eerily similar to Wisconsin's most recent test with Purdue. The only differences were the Badgers were the road team and, more importantly, that Michigan State came to play down the stretch.
The Badgers opened up a 19-7 lead nearly a month ago in East Lansing. Over the remainder of the game, the Badgers lost their composure, turning the ball over a season-high 11 times and allowing Michigan State to end regulation on a 9-0 run.
Do not expect many similarities in Sunday's rematch. Both the Badgers and the Spartans are entirely different teams. The Spartans were a Big Ten frontrunner with a 3-1 conference record; now they are fighting to make the tournament and playing without suspended junior guard and team assist-leader Korie Lucious.
The Badgers were fighting for nationwide recognition; now they are a legitimate top-20 team coming off of four wins in their past five games. Contrastingly, Michigan State has lost four of their last five games, including Wednesday's 20-point shellacking to Big Ten bottom feeder, Iowa.
While the script may be different heading into Sunday's rematch, the end goal remains the same.
"Whether you're on the road or at home, a win is a win and a loss is a loss," Taylor said.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Badgers Rebound From Loss, Take Down Purdue
Jeremy Wodajo-
For the 19th consecutive time, the Wisconsin men's basketball team followed a loss with a victory. Tuesday night that victory came at the hands of No.10 Purdue (7-3 Big Ten, 18-5 overall) as UW (6-3, 16-5) took down the Boilermakers 66-59.
It has become a regular occurrence for the Badgers to bounce back after a defeat— they haven't lost two consecutive games since Jan. 2009— but Tuesday night's game-changer was far from predictable.
Sophomore forward Ryan Evans arguably played his best game in a Badger uniform, dropping 10 points in 19 minutes, and bringing the Kohl Center faithful to their feet with a number of thunderous dunks.
"We've been talking all year long about how we got guys on this team that people probably are not going to think twice about just because they might not be the big names," junior guard Jordan Taylor said. "And Ryan, we've been saying what he could give to this team all year long and this was just a little show tonight."
The Badgers used a decent shooting display and some great inside scoring in the first half to take an eight point lead into the intermission.
Following halftime, the Boilermakers came out firing on all cylinders, connecting on 13 of their first 14 shots, and were able to take the lead 43-39, with 12:14 left in the second half. Purdue's JaJuan Johnson led the charge scoring 10 of his team-high 23 points in the six minutes following halftime.
"I didn't think we did a very good job [of defending Johnson] in the second half and we're going to take a look at why," head coach Bo Ryan said. "This is a forty-minute game and we need to be better."
UW was able to recover in the second half partly due to the efficient play of senior forward Jon Leuer. After a quick turnover early in the second half, Leuer knocked down his first four shots and kept it close despite the push the Boilermakers were making. Leuer, who finished with a game-high 24 points, shot 8-of-18 from the field for the game and converted all six of his free throw attempts.
"He could have taken better care of the ball ... but he found some areas to get angles and finished around the basket," Ryan said.
Taylor was able to contribute again Tuesday night, putting up 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 38 crucial minutes. He also did nothing to hurt his nation-best 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio by dishing out five assists, while only committing two turnovers.
Although Taylor and Leuer have garnered most of the national attention, Taylor is quick to praise his teammates and the fans for the success they saw against a stubborn Purdue squad.
"The crowd was unbelievable tonight—anytime you have a tough opponent like that you will take any advantage you can get," Taylor said. "It was just a complete team effort."
For the 19th consecutive time, the Wisconsin men's basketball team followed a loss with a victory. Tuesday night that victory came at the hands of No.10 Purdue (7-3 Big Ten, 18-5 overall) as UW (6-3, 16-5) took down the Boilermakers 66-59.
It has become a regular occurrence for the Badgers to bounce back after a defeat— they haven't lost two consecutive games since Jan. 2009— but Tuesday night's game-changer was far from predictable.
Sophomore forward Ryan Evans arguably played his best game in a Badger uniform, dropping 10 points in 19 minutes, and bringing the Kohl Center faithful to their feet with a number of thunderous dunks.
"We've been talking all year long about how we got guys on this team that people probably are not going to think twice about just because they might not be the big names," junior guard Jordan Taylor said. "And Ryan, we've been saying what he could give to this team all year long and this was just a little show tonight."
The Badgers used a decent shooting display and some great inside scoring in the first half to take an eight point lead into the intermission.
Following halftime, the Boilermakers came out firing on all cylinders, connecting on 13 of their first 14 shots, and were able to take the lead 43-39, with 12:14 left in the second half. Purdue's JaJuan Johnson led the charge scoring 10 of his team-high 23 points in the six minutes following halftime.
"I didn't think we did a very good job [of defending Johnson] in the second half and we're going to take a look at why," head coach Bo Ryan said. "This is a forty-minute game and we need to be better."
UW was able to recover in the second half partly due to the efficient play of senior forward Jon Leuer. After a quick turnover early in the second half, Leuer knocked down his first four shots and kept it close despite the push the Boilermakers were making. Leuer, who finished with a game-high 24 points, shot 8-of-18 from the field for the game and converted all six of his free throw attempts.
"He could have taken better care of the ball ... but he found some areas to get angles and finished around the basket," Ryan said.
Taylor was able to contribute again Tuesday night, putting up 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 38 crucial minutes. He also did nothing to hurt his nation-best 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio by dishing out five assists, while only committing two turnovers.
Although Taylor and Leuer have garnered most of the national attention, Taylor is quick to praise his teammates and the fans for the success they saw against a stubborn Purdue squad.
"The crowd was unbelievable tonight—anytime you have a tough opponent like that you will take any advantage you can get," Taylor said. "It was just a complete team effort."
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
UW Trying to Bounce Back Against Purdue
Tuesday marks the beginning of pivotal stretch for No.18 Wisconsin (5-3 Big Ten, 15-5 Overall) as No.10 Purdue (7-2, 18-4) visits the Kohl Center with the Badgers trying desperately to put Saturday's disappointing loss at Penn State behind them.
Despite losing senior forward and First Team All-Big Ten selection Robbie Hummel to a torn ACL in their first practice, the Boilermakers still have one of the most talented rosters in the conference and could very well be the most difficult home test for UW thus far this season.
"They play good defense [and] they've got two first team All-American guys," head coach Bo Ryan said. "So they're a good team, they've got a lot going for them."
In order for Wisconsin to avoid losing consecutive games for the first time since January 2009, they must hold Purdue's duo of seniors, E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, in check. Much like UW's own duo of junior guard Jordan Taylor and senior forward Jon Leuer, the two leading Boilermaker scorers have not only been a key source of production themselves (38.2 PPG and 13.5 RPG combined), but have also served as the catalysts for the Purdue offense.
As with Leuer, Johnson's four years have been marked by consistent individual growth within a system tailor-made for his unique skill set.
"JaJuan Johnson is shooting the three, he's taking it in the post, puts it on the floor a little bit," Ryan said. "So, you know, both of those guys are in programs where they're allowed to expand their games and do things for the betterment of the team."
For the Badgers, senior forward Keaton Nankivil will look to make an impact against his favorite opponent. Both of Nankivil's two career 20-point efforts have come against the Boilermakers, including his memorable seven three-pointers in last year's 64-63 loss in West Lafayette. Having him as a third source of offense would be huge for a Badger offense that looked off kilter over the weekend.
With Purdue, Michigan State and Ohio State set to visit Madison over the next two weeks, this four game stretch is perhaps the most important of Wisconsin's 2011 Big Ten campaign.
Purdue comes into Tuesday's match-up just a game and a half ahead of the Badgers, but with the Boilers having already gone through Minneapolis and Columbus, it would appear that a Purdue win at the Kohl Center would make it all but impossible for UW to square things up in a battle with Purdue for the No.2 seed in the conference tournament.
At 8-6, Purdue is the only Big Ten team with a winning record against Wisconsin during the Bo Ryan era. But having taken care of business at home all season, UW must continue to do so over this two-week stretch in order to remain in the conversation for the Big Ten regular season title.
Despite losing senior forward and First Team All-Big Ten selection Robbie Hummel to a torn ACL in their first practice, the Boilermakers still have one of the most talented rosters in the conference and could very well be the most difficult home test for UW thus far this season.
"They play good defense [and] they've got two first team All-American guys," head coach Bo Ryan said. "So they're a good team, they've got a lot going for them."
In order for Wisconsin to avoid losing consecutive games for the first time since January 2009, they must hold Purdue's duo of seniors, E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, in check. Much like UW's own duo of junior guard Jordan Taylor and senior forward Jon Leuer, the two leading Boilermaker scorers have not only been a key source of production themselves (38.2 PPG and 13.5 RPG combined), but have also served as the catalysts for the Purdue offense.
As with Leuer, Johnson's four years have been marked by consistent individual growth within a system tailor-made for his unique skill set.
"JaJuan Johnson is shooting the three, he's taking it in the post, puts it on the floor a little bit," Ryan said. "So, you know, both of those guys are in programs where they're allowed to expand their games and do things for the betterment of the team."
For the Badgers, senior forward Keaton Nankivil will look to make an impact against his favorite opponent. Both of Nankivil's two career 20-point efforts have come against the Boilermakers, including his memorable seven three-pointers in last year's 64-63 loss in West Lafayette. Having him as a third source of offense would be huge for a Badger offense that looked off kilter over the weekend.
With Purdue, Michigan State and Ohio State set to visit Madison over the next two weeks, this four game stretch is perhaps the most important of Wisconsin's 2011 Big Ten campaign.
Purdue comes into Tuesday's match-up just a game and a half ahead of the Badgers, but with the Boilers having already gone through Minneapolis and Columbus, it would appear that a Purdue win at the Kohl Center would make it all but impossible for UW to square things up in a battle with Purdue for the No.2 seed in the conference tournament.
At 8-6, Purdue is the only Big Ten team with a winning record against Wisconsin during the Bo Ryan era. But having taken care of business at home all season, UW must continue to do so over this two-week stretch in order to remain in the conversation for the Big Ten regular season title.
Just 'One of Those Days'- Sam Sussman
The Penn State men's basketball team moved closer to making its first NCAA tournament since 2001 by beating the Badgers Sunday, something the Nittany Lions haven't accomplished in 8 years.. Led by four starting seniors and with a tenacious defensive effort, the Nittany Lions outlasted Wisconsin 56-52, defeating their fourth-straight Big Ten foe at home.
It was all Badgers in the first half, who were exemplary both offensively and defensively. Penn State struggled to get anything going as Wisconsin shut down passing lanes, forced turnovers and suffocated shooters. Penn State senior guard Talor Battle shot a dismal 1-5 from the field while Wisconsin's interior defense held senior forward Jeff Brooks to just five points. The Nittany Lions shot 33 percent from the field, including a disappointing 2-7 from downtown.
"We couldn't get shots in; we couldn't get any rhythm," Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis said.
Wisconsin matched its stellar defense with a solid performance on the offensive end in the first half. Junior guard Jordan Taylor, a Bob Cousy Award finalist for the best point guard in the country and the nation's leader in assist to turnover ratio, scored 12 points and looked comfortable running Bo Ryan's swing offense.
"I thought we had some really good looks," Wisconsin head coach Ryan said. "It was one of those days."
Not only were they good looks, but they were also falling. The Badgers shot 54 percent in the first half and found the stroke from deep as well, knocking down 42 percent of their three-point attempts. Senior forward Jon Leuer, a Big Ten Player of the Year Candidate, was efficient from the post, shooting 5-7 from the field. Leuer finished with a team-high 18 points, while Taylor chipped in 16.
Wisconsin entered the Bryce Jordan Arena with a 12-1 record when leading at the break, but Saturday's game quickly became a tale of two halves.
"They got off to a hot start. They threw the first punch," said senior forward Andrew Jones, who grabbed 10 rebounds in the second half, . "I think that we reacted pretty well. As the game went on, we settled in."
Penn State did more than settle in; they dominated the second half. A switch flipped in the locker room. The Nittany Lions came out for the final twenty minutes inspired, aggressive and focused.
Wisconsin couldn't hold Battle's talents in check the second half. When the Nittany Lions needed their senior star most, he delivered. Battle went 6-11 from the field in the second half and nailed three shots from beyond the arc, including a triple that gave Penn State its first lead of the game with 10:51 to go in the second half. Battle finished with 22 points.
An even larger factor in Penn State's comeback was the Nittany Lions' relentless defensive play. Brooks recorded game highs with two blocks and three steals, as Wisconsin shot 32 percent in the second half and a frustrating 3-13 from three-point range.
"We played well in the second half; we held them to 23 points," DeChellis said. "We challenged some shots and played with better energy."
The Badgers will have to forget about Penn State quickly as they prepare to face No. 12 Purdue at the Kohl Center Tuesday.
It was all Badgers in the first half, who were exemplary both offensively and defensively. Penn State struggled to get anything going as Wisconsin shut down passing lanes, forced turnovers and suffocated shooters. Penn State senior guard Talor Battle shot a dismal 1-5 from the field while Wisconsin's interior defense held senior forward Jeff Brooks to just five points. The Nittany Lions shot 33 percent from the field, including a disappointing 2-7 from downtown.
"We couldn't get shots in; we couldn't get any rhythm," Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis said.
Wisconsin matched its stellar defense with a solid performance on the offensive end in the first half. Junior guard Jordan Taylor, a Bob Cousy Award finalist for the best point guard in the country and the nation's leader in assist to turnover ratio, scored 12 points and looked comfortable running Bo Ryan's swing offense.
"I thought we had some really good looks," Wisconsin head coach Ryan said. "It was one of those days."
Not only were they good looks, but they were also falling. The Badgers shot 54 percent in the first half and found the stroke from deep as well, knocking down 42 percent of their three-point attempts. Senior forward Jon Leuer, a Big Ten Player of the Year Candidate, was efficient from the post, shooting 5-7 from the field. Leuer finished with a team-high 18 points, while Taylor chipped in 16.
Wisconsin entered the Bryce Jordan Arena with a 12-1 record when leading at the break, but Saturday's game quickly became a tale of two halves.
"They got off to a hot start. They threw the first punch," said senior forward Andrew Jones, who grabbed 10 rebounds in the second half, . "I think that we reacted pretty well. As the game went on, we settled in."
Penn State did more than settle in; they dominated the second half. A switch flipped in the locker room. The Nittany Lions came out for the final twenty minutes inspired, aggressive and focused.
Wisconsin couldn't hold Battle's talents in check the second half. When the Nittany Lions needed their senior star most, he delivered. Battle went 6-11 from the field in the second half and nailed three shots from beyond the arc, including a triple that gave Penn State its first lead of the game with 10:51 to go in the second half. Battle finished with 22 points.
An even larger factor in Penn State's comeback was the Nittany Lions' relentless defensive play. Brooks recorded game highs with two blocks and three steals, as Wisconsin shot 32 percent in the second half and a frustrating 3-13 from three-point range.
"We played well in the second half; we held them to 23 points," DeChellis said. "We challenged some shots and played with better energy."
The Badgers will have to forget about Penn State quickly as they prepare to face No. 12 Purdue at the Kohl Center Tuesday.
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