While Thursday night’s loss may have ended the Badgers’ season, the accolades keep flowing in for a team that won 25 games in 2010-2011, the third-most in program history. Monday it was about the individual accomplishments as junior guard Jordan Taylor (2nd team) and senior forward Jon Leuer (honorable mention) were both named All-Americans by the Associated press.
Taylor, who becomes just the 4th UW player to earn first or second team honors, finished the season with 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. Most importantly, the junior point guard led the nation with a 3.83 assist-to-turnover ratio, the best in program history and a big factor in Wisconsin being the nation’s second-most efficient offense at nearly 1.16 points per possession.
A consensus first team All-Big Ten selection and a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation’s top point guard, Taylor made his mark this year and figures to be a preseason Big Ten player of the year frontrunner come next fall.
Leuer, a member of the USA Select Team during the summer of 2010, came off of an injury-plagued junior year and more than justified his place among the Big Ten’s best. Scoring in double digits in each of UW’s first 33 games, Leuer led the Badgers with 18.3 points per game, adding in 7.2 rebounds while posting a team-high 6 double-doubles. He, along with fellow senior Keaton Nankivil, was along one of only three players in the Big Ten to knock down 20 3-pointers while putting up 20 blocks. Leuer crossed the 1,000 point mark in early in the season, finishing his career with 1,376 points, 12th in school history.
In addition, Leuer’s 621 points are the third-highest single-season total in program history.
“I’m proud of Jordan and Jon, as well as the University of Wisconsin, for this recognition,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “To have two guys from the same team earn this kind of honor is pretty special. Both players had tremendous seasons and were major contributors to a team that went from unranked to top 10 and won 25 games.”
Leuer was probably a preseason candidate for national acclaim, but the rise of Jordan Taylor among the nation’s elite was not in the forecast, at least outside the inner circles of Wisconsin basketball.
After spending two years in the shadow of guard Trevon Hughes, Taylor broke out of his shell in 2010-2011, emerging onto the national spotlight with 21 second-half points in a come-from-behind win over then-undefeated Ohio State. He then followed that performance up just two weeks later with a 39-point night in Bloomington, willing the Badgers to a conference road win.
“This is quite an honor to be voted as one of the top players in the country,” Taylor said. “I’m humbled by the recognition, but like all individual awards, this is a reflection of the entire team.”
With all that the Badgers were able to accomplish this season, these honors are a fitting way to cap it off. The names on the list might read Taylor and Leuer, but these honors were truly the result of a team effort.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Taylor, Leuer Earn All-American Honors
UwBadgers.com-
MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin junior guard Jordan Taylor was named a second-team All-American, while senior forward Jon Leuer earned honorable mention, the Associated Press announced Monday. Taylor is the fourth Wisconsin player to earn first or second-team All-America honors since the AP began selecting All-Americans in 1948.
“This is quite an honor to be voted as one of the top players in the country,” Taylor said. “I’m humbled by the recognition, but like all individual awards, this is a reflection of the entire team. My coaches and teammates always put me in a position to be successful and I am grateful to all of them.”
Taylor joins Alando Tucker (first-team selection in 2007), Don Rehfeldt (first-team in 1950) and Devin Harris (second-team in 2004) as the only Badgers to earn first or second-team All-America honors.
The AP first team was comprised of BYU senior Jimmer Fredette, Purdue senior JaJuan Johnson Duke senior Nolan Smith, Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger and UConn junior Kemba Walker. Taylor was joined on the AP second team by Kansas's Marcus Morris, Arizona's Derrick Williams, Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough and San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard.
“I’m proud of Jordan and Jon, as well as the University of Wisconsin, for this recognition,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “To have two guys from the same team earn this kind of honor is pretty special. Both players had tremendous seasons and were major contributors to a team that went from unranked to top 10 and won 25 games.
“Jon lived up to his preseason billing as one of the top players and Jordan Taylor played his way into that same discussion among the nation’s best.”
Taylor averaged 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists in leading the Badgers to 25 wins, the third-highest single-season total in school history. A consensus first-team All-Big Ten pick and Cousy Award finalist, Taylor led the nation with a 3.83 assist-to-turnover ratio.
A fellow first-team All-Big Ten selection, Leuer led the Badgers with 18.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season. With 1,376 career points, Leuer finished 12th in school history, while his 621 points in 2010-11 ranked as the third-highest single-season total in UW history.
Wisconsin’s AP All-Americans (since 1948)
1950 Don Rehfeldt (first team)
1984 Cory Blackwell (hon. mention)
1988 Danny Jones (hon. mention)
1989 Danny Jones (hon. mention)
1993 Michael Finley (hon. mention)
1994 Michael Finley (hon. mention)
1995 Michael Finley (hon. mention)
1999 Sean Mason (hon. mention)
2004 Devin Harris (second team)
2007 Alando Tucker (first team)
2011 Jon Leuer (hon. mention)
2011 Jordan Taylor (second team)
MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin junior guard Jordan Taylor was named a second-team All-American, while senior forward Jon Leuer earned honorable mention, the Associated Press announced Monday. Taylor is the fourth Wisconsin player to earn first or second-team All-America honors since the AP began selecting All-Americans in 1948.
“This is quite an honor to be voted as one of the top players in the country,” Taylor said. “I’m humbled by the recognition, but like all individual awards, this is a reflection of the entire team. My coaches and teammates always put me in a position to be successful and I am grateful to all of them.”
Taylor joins Alando Tucker (first-team selection in 2007), Don Rehfeldt (first-team in 1950) and Devin Harris (second-team in 2004) as the only Badgers to earn first or second-team All-America honors.
The AP first team was comprised of BYU senior Jimmer Fredette, Purdue senior JaJuan Johnson Duke senior Nolan Smith, Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger and UConn junior Kemba Walker. Taylor was joined on the AP second team by Kansas's Marcus Morris, Arizona's Derrick Williams, Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough and San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard.
“I’m proud of Jordan and Jon, as well as the University of Wisconsin, for this recognition,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “To have two guys from the same team earn this kind of honor is pretty special. Both players had tremendous seasons and were major contributors to a team that went from unranked to top 10 and won 25 games.
“Jon lived up to his preseason billing as one of the top players and Jordan Taylor played his way into that same discussion among the nation’s best.”
Taylor averaged 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists in leading the Badgers to 25 wins, the third-highest single-season total in school history. A consensus first-team All-Big Ten pick and Cousy Award finalist, Taylor led the nation with a 3.83 assist-to-turnover ratio.
A fellow first-team All-Big Ten selection, Leuer led the Badgers with 18.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season. With 1,376 career points, Leuer finished 12th in school history, while his 621 points in 2010-11 ranked as the third-highest single-season total in UW history.
Wisconsin’s AP All-Americans (since 1948)
1950 Don Rehfeldt (first team)
1984 Cory Blackwell (hon. mention)
1988 Danny Jones (hon. mention)
1989 Danny Jones (hon. mention)
1993 Michael Finley (hon. mention)
1994 Michael Finley (hon. mention)
1995 Michael Finley (hon. mention)
1999 Sean Mason (hon. mention)
2004 Devin Harris (second team)
2007 Alando Tucker (first team)
2011 Jon Leuer (hon. mention)
2011 Jordan Taylor (second team)
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Badger Loss Stings, But Season Is No Disappointment
If I had gone around campus saying that the 2010-2011 UW Men’s Basketball team would finish 25-9, beat No.1 Ohio State, and reach the Sweet 16 (and I did), I would have been laughed at. Losing guards Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon, who combined for 40% of last year’s scoring, had many thinking that a “rebuilding year” was upcoming.
Of course if you bothered to read between the lines, UW came into 2010-2011 with the 2nd most experienced roster in the Big Ten, returning 12 letterwinners, including the entire front line.
But none of this seemed to matter with the campus engrossed in a Rose Bowl run and uninterested in a team that was unranked in the preseason AP poll and picked to finish 7th in the Big Ten.
For the most part, the non-conference slate did nothing to change those perceptions of mediocrity. Wins over fairly weak ACC foes NC State and Boston College were balanced by disappointing defeats at UNLV and against Notre Dame in the Old Spice Classic final. The only truly quality win came at Marquette and with that game coming on the eve of finals week, not many seemed to care.
When the Badgers proceeded to start Big Ten play just 2-2, vaulting them outside the rankings yet again, it seemed to many that spring football couldn’t come soon enough.
With the season seemingly going nowhere, the calls for a “rebuilding” were back in force.
Still, that was and never has been an option for Bo Ryan.
“Talking about getting better has never been part of our philosophy,” the 27-year coaching veteran said. “It’s all about doing it.”
In a single Biddy Martin tweet, they started doing just that.
After losing a halftime lead against then-No. 10 Purdue, the Badgers used the momentum of the snow day announcement to finish the game on a 23-10 run over the final 10 minutes to get the victory.
Five days later, it was Michigan State’s turn to feel the brunt of the newly found Badger momentum as UW started off Super Bowl Sunday by handing the Spartans a 26-point defeat.
Jordan Taylor got the Badgers through a trap game at Iowa, scoring or assisting on 17 of the game’s final 19 points as UW eeked out a 3 point overtime win.
Now having won 6 of 7, it was time to face undefeated Ohio State.
After an adrenaline filled first half resulted in a lead of 6 turning into a 2 point deficit at the break, UW came out of the half cold as the Buckeyes built a 15 point lead and seemed well on their way to victory number 25.
With 13:21 left, it was time for the legend of Jordan Taylor to be born.
Trailing 47-32, Taylor lead the Badgers on a 15-0 run over the next 3:35, scoring 10 of those 15 points and kicking out to freshman Josh Gasser for a tying 3 pointer that ignited arguably the loudest roar in the history of the Kohl Center. Taylor finished with 21 points in the 2nd half alone, a performance that had his name trending worldwide on twitter and proved good enough to force the Cousy Award committee to put his name back on the finalist list.
In less than two weeks, UW vaulted itself from 15-5 tournament hopeful to 19-5 national title contender.
With a Senior Day victory over Northwestern a few weeks later, UW capped off just the third undefeated home schedule in the last 80 years.
But just as quickly as they shot into the national title talk, the Badgers went through a final period of adversity, losing by 28 in Columbus and then famously losing 36-33 to Penn State in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
Heading into the NCAA Tournament off of the 2 worst games of the season, the fourth-seeded Badgers were everybody’s favorite upset pick in an opening round match-up against Belmont.
Seemingly tired of the talk about their inability to shoot away from the Kohl Center and the potential for Belmont’s pressure defense to put the Badgers on the defensive, UW hit 12 of 22 threes and held the Bruins under 37% shooting, cruising to a 14 point victory that had analysts everywhere quickly covering their tracks.
Just two days later, UW proved that it wasn’t just about Jon Leuer and Jordan Taylor. While Kansas State senior guard Jacob Pullen outscored Taylor by 26 in a game that was universally billed “Pullen vs. Taylor”, it was the Badgers who earned a spot in New Orleans, fighting their way out of another 2nd half drought en route to a 70-65 victory capped off in style by a gutsy Taylor block of Pullen’s attempt at a game-tying 3 pointer in the waning moments.
“Everybody stepped up. You can go right down the line,” Leuer said after the win. “Mike {Bruesewitz}’s big three, Tim Jarmusz hit some big shots. Even though Jordan was off offensively he made some huge plays down the stretch. He found Mike on that three. Right before that he got the steal. Josh made some big plays. Just go right down the line of guys stepping up and making key contributions.
That's what you need in March if you want to keep playing, just guys stepping up and, you know, giving you good production.”
All in a weekend’s work, UW vaulted from upset special to championship contender once again.
While the 20-point deficit that the Badgers dug against Butler proved too much to overcome, the Sweet 16 loss was a let down, but far from a disappointment. UW showed the resiliency that got them to that point, working back from that large hole to cut the Butler lead to just 4 before Bulldog guard Shelvin Mack knocked down a contested jumper with a minute to go that erased hopes of another epic Badger comeback.
Despite the loss, a season destined for mediocrity resulted in:
The Badgers’ 13th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament
The program’s 2nd victory over a No. 1 team (their first since 1962)
UW’s 5th Sweet 16 appearance
25 wins (3rd most in program history)
2 First-team All Big-Ten selections (Taylor and Leuer) for the 1st time in UW history
“It's always tough when it ends, when you've got to put the balls away and the uniforms and practice gear. But I'm really proud of these guys...” Ryan said. “When you look at the entire season, just there are things accomplished this year that people never dreamed of with this group.”
Losing in the NCAA Tournament is a heartbreaking finality that 67 teams each year have to deal with. It should not take away from what was an otherwise memorable season for the UW program.
With just 201 days until the first official practice, the road back to New Orleans for the 2012 Final Four is just around the corner.
Of course if you bothered to read between the lines, UW came into 2010-2011 with the 2nd most experienced roster in the Big Ten, returning 12 letterwinners, including the entire front line.
But none of this seemed to matter with the campus engrossed in a Rose Bowl run and uninterested in a team that was unranked in the preseason AP poll and picked to finish 7th in the Big Ten.
For the most part, the non-conference slate did nothing to change those perceptions of mediocrity. Wins over fairly weak ACC foes NC State and Boston College were balanced by disappointing defeats at UNLV and against Notre Dame in the Old Spice Classic final. The only truly quality win came at Marquette and with that game coming on the eve of finals week, not many seemed to care.
When the Badgers proceeded to start Big Ten play just 2-2, vaulting them outside the rankings yet again, it seemed to many that spring football couldn’t come soon enough.
With the season seemingly going nowhere, the calls for a “rebuilding” were back in force.
Still, that was and never has been an option for Bo Ryan.
“Talking about getting better has never been part of our philosophy,” the 27-year coaching veteran said. “It’s all about doing it.”
In a single Biddy Martin tweet, they started doing just that.
After losing a halftime lead against then-No. 10 Purdue, the Badgers used the momentum of the snow day announcement to finish the game on a 23-10 run over the final 10 minutes to get the victory.
Five days later, it was Michigan State’s turn to feel the brunt of the newly found Badger momentum as UW started off Super Bowl Sunday by handing the Spartans a 26-point defeat.
Jordan Taylor got the Badgers through a trap game at Iowa, scoring or assisting on 17 of the game’s final 19 points as UW eeked out a 3 point overtime win.
Now having won 6 of 7, it was time to face undefeated Ohio State.
After an adrenaline filled first half resulted in a lead of 6 turning into a 2 point deficit at the break, UW came out of the half cold as the Buckeyes built a 15 point lead and seemed well on their way to victory number 25.
With 13:21 left, it was time for the legend of Jordan Taylor to be born.
Trailing 47-32, Taylor lead the Badgers on a 15-0 run over the next 3:35, scoring 10 of those 15 points and kicking out to freshman Josh Gasser for a tying 3 pointer that ignited arguably the loudest roar in the history of the Kohl Center. Taylor finished with 21 points in the 2nd half alone, a performance that had his name trending worldwide on twitter and proved good enough to force the Cousy Award committee to put his name back on the finalist list.
In less than two weeks, UW vaulted itself from 15-5 tournament hopeful to 19-5 national title contender.
With a Senior Day victory over Northwestern a few weeks later, UW capped off just the third undefeated home schedule in the last 80 years.
But just as quickly as they shot into the national title talk, the Badgers went through a final period of adversity, losing by 28 in Columbus and then famously losing 36-33 to Penn State in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
Heading into the NCAA Tournament off of the 2 worst games of the season, the fourth-seeded Badgers were everybody’s favorite upset pick in an opening round match-up against Belmont.
Seemingly tired of the talk about their inability to shoot away from the Kohl Center and the potential for Belmont’s pressure defense to put the Badgers on the defensive, UW hit 12 of 22 threes and held the Bruins under 37% shooting, cruising to a 14 point victory that had analysts everywhere quickly covering their tracks.
Just two days later, UW proved that it wasn’t just about Jon Leuer and Jordan Taylor. While Kansas State senior guard Jacob Pullen outscored Taylor by 26 in a game that was universally billed “Pullen vs. Taylor”, it was the Badgers who earned a spot in New Orleans, fighting their way out of another 2nd half drought en route to a 70-65 victory capped off in style by a gutsy Taylor block of Pullen’s attempt at a game-tying 3 pointer in the waning moments.
“Everybody stepped up. You can go right down the line,” Leuer said after the win. “Mike {Bruesewitz}’s big three, Tim Jarmusz hit some big shots. Even though Jordan was off offensively he made some huge plays down the stretch. He found Mike on that three. Right before that he got the steal. Josh made some big plays. Just go right down the line of guys stepping up and making key contributions.
That's what you need in March if you want to keep playing, just guys stepping up and, you know, giving you good production.”
All in a weekend’s work, UW vaulted from upset special to championship contender once again.
While the 20-point deficit that the Badgers dug against Butler proved too much to overcome, the Sweet 16 loss was a let down, but far from a disappointment. UW showed the resiliency that got them to that point, working back from that large hole to cut the Butler lead to just 4 before Bulldog guard Shelvin Mack knocked down a contested jumper with a minute to go that erased hopes of another epic Badger comeback.
Despite the loss, a season destined for mediocrity resulted in:
The Badgers’ 13th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament
The program’s 2nd victory over a No. 1 team (their first since 1962)
UW’s 5th Sweet 16 appearance
25 wins (3rd most in program history)
2 First-team All Big-Ten selections (Taylor and Leuer) for the 1st time in UW history
“It's always tough when it ends, when you've got to put the balls away and the uniforms and practice gear. But I'm really proud of these guys...” Ryan said. “When you look at the entire season, just there are things accomplished this year that people never dreamed of with this group.”
Losing in the NCAA Tournament is a heartbreaking finality that 67 teams each year have to deal with. It should not take away from what was an otherwise memorable season for the UW program.
With just 201 days until the first official practice, the road back to New Orleans for the 2012 Final Four is just around the corner.
Friday, March 25, 2011
New Orleans Blues
By: Parker Gabriel
NEW ORLEANS—In the Badgers first two possessions Thursday night, what seemed like reason for optimism actually served as a grim foreshadowing of what was to come.
On each of UW's first two trips, Wisconsin worked the ball into the post and got good looks from senior forward Jon Leuer. He missed each, but usually going inside ensures some level of consistency.
Not on this night.
Wisconsin fell behind early and looked flustered throughout. It was a bad shooting night from its two top scorers until late in the second half, but Butler opened up a commanding lead and held on late to top UW 61-54 and end the Badgers' season.
The Bulldogs will face Florida Saturday night for a trip to the Final Four.
Wisconsin caught fire late and trimmed what was a 20-point gap to just four with 1:38 remaining when junior guard Jordan Taylor hit a three. The junior finished the night with 22 points on 6-19 shooting (3-10 three-point attempts).
However, before the late-game frenzy, UW's offense was lethargic at best.
Leuer frequently caught the ball in the post, but where the First Team All-Big Ten performer usually converts on a near-automatic basis, he found unfriendly results with Butler.
The Orono, Minn. native finished the game with an ugly 1-12 mark from the field (1-6 on three-point attempts) and three points.
"Overall, if you look at a shot chart, I like most of the shots we got," Ryan said. "At some point, you just have to make some of them."
Leuer certainly was not alone in his struggles, though.
In one stretch that spanned the final portion of the first half and beginning of the second half, Wisconsin went 10:05 without a field goal.
"We touched the ball in the post four out of five times [to start the second half] and came up with nothing," Ryan said.
Junior point guard Jordan Taylor—who struggled shooting in a 2-of-16 performance last Saturday against Kansas State—added carelessness with the basketball to shooting woes against Butler.
The point guard, despite his astounding numbers when it comes to protecting the ball—he entered the game leading the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio at 4.18—was credited with two turnovers in the first half and generally forced the issue on the offensive end.
"We made [poor] plays that are uncharacteristic of how we play," Leuer said. "We tried to force some things offensively … and just did some things [we] normally don't."
Butler capitalized nearly every time UW stumbled and led 33-24 at the half, largely because the Bulldogs outscored UW 15-1 in points off turnovers.
As uncharacteristic as the cough-ups were for Taylor, he also missed four free throws in the first half. Coming into the season, Taylor converted his free throws at an 85 percent clip.
The junior finished the night with 22 points on 6-19 shooting.
The Bulldogs got exceptional play from senior forward Matt Howard, who finished with 20 points. In addition to scoring, he grabbed 12 big rebounds (three offensive) and seemed to track down the ball whenever the situation required it. Howard scored inside and outside and aptly closed out on Wisconsin shooters like senior forward Keaton Nankivil, who scored nine points in his final game as a Badger.
"We just needed to put a few more minutes together here tonight so we could keep dancing," Ryan said. "Unfortunately, the music stopped playing."
As a team, UW shot just 30.4 percent from the field (17-56) and 24.1 percent from beyond the arc (7-29)
The Badgers exceeded expectations this whole this season. Needless to say, though, Thursday's performance fell short.
NEW ORLEANS—In the Badgers first two possessions Thursday night, what seemed like reason for optimism actually served as a grim foreshadowing of what was to come.
On each of UW's first two trips, Wisconsin worked the ball into the post and got good looks from senior forward Jon Leuer. He missed each, but usually going inside ensures some level of consistency.
Not on this night.
Wisconsin fell behind early and looked flustered throughout. It was a bad shooting night from its two top scorers until late in the second half, but Butler opened up a commanding lead and held on late to top UW 61-54 and end the Badgers' season.
The Bulldogs will face Florida Saturday night for a trip to the Final Four.
Wisconsin caught fire late and trimmed what was a 20-point gap to just four with 1:38 remaining when junior guard Jordan Taylor hit a three. The junior finished the night with 22 points on 6-19 shooting (3-10 three-point attempts).
However, before the late-game frenzy, UW's offense was lethargic at best.
Leuer frequently caught the ball in the post, but where the First Team All-Big Ten performer usually converts on a near-automatic basis, he found unfriendly results with Butler.
The Orono, Minn. native finished the game with an ugly 1-12 mark from the field (1-6 on three-point attempts) and three points.
"Overall, if you look at a shot chart, I like most of the shots we got," Ryan said. "At some point, you just have to make some of them."
Leuer certainly was not alone in his struggles, though.
In one stretch that spanned the final portion of the first half and beginning of the second half, Wisconsin went 10:05 without a field goal.
"We touched the ball in the post four out of five times [to start the second half] and came up with nothing," Ryan said.
Junior point guard Jordan Taylor—who struggled shooting in a 2-of-16 performance last Saturday against Kansas State—added carelessness with the basketball to shooting woes against Butler.
The point guard, despite his astounding numbers when it comes to protecting the ball—he entered the game leading the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio at 4.18—was credited with two turnovers in the first half and generally forced the issue on the offensive end.
"We made [poor] plays that are uncharacteristic of how we play," Leuer said. "We tried to force some things offensively … and just did some things [we] normally don't."
Butler capitalized nearly every time UW stumbled and led 33-24 at the half, largely because the Bulldogs outscored UW 15-1 in points off turnovers.
As uncharacteristic as the cough-ups were for Taylor, he also missed four free throws in the first half. Coming into the season, Taylor converted his free throws at an 85 percent clip.
The junior finished the night with 22 points on 6-19 shooting.
The Bulldogs got exceptional play from senior forward Matt Howard, who finished with 20 points. In addition to scoring, he grabbed 12 big rebounds (three offensive) and seemed to track down the ball whenever the situation required it. Howard scored inside and outside and aptly closed out on Wisconsin shooters like senior forward Keaton Nankivil, who scored nine points in his final game as a Badger.
"We just needed to put a few more minutes together here tonight so we could keep dancing," Ryan said. "Unfortunately, the music stopped playing."
As a team, UW shot just 30.4 percent from the field (17-56) and 24.1 percent from beyond the arc (7-29)
The Badgers exceeded expectations this whole this season. Needless to say, though, Thursday's performance fell short.
Dont Blame The Style
NEW ORLEANS—You can say whatever you want about the so-called "Wisconsin style" of basketball, but whatever your views, Thursday's Sweet 16 loss at the hands of Butler was not a failure of the system. It was a failure to execute that system.
Wisconsin didn't score 29 points in the first 30 minutes of the game because "Wisconsin basketball" is too slow and too boring, they scored 29 point in those 30 minutes because they didn't execute the system that got them to New Orleans.
When people speak of Wisconsin Basketball, its usually about limiting turnovers, using the shot clock, getting to the foul line, making free throws and playing tough defense.
But on Thursday night, the Badgers never consistently executed on any of those principles: Eleven turnovers leading to 17 Butler points. Six missed free throws. Plenty of quick looks.
Largely the result of the late spurt that saw UW climb within four in the waning moments, junior guard Jordan Taylor paced the Badger scoring with 22 points on six of 19 shooting. But, and I doubt he would argue the point, Thursday was one of his worst performances of the season.
There is a lot of truth in the oft-mentioned axiom, "As Taylor goes, so goes the Badgers." But it isn't about scoring: Its' all about executing.
UW missed six free throws, shooting just 68.4 percent to close out a year in which they shot over 80 percent from the line. Add those six free throws and it's a whole new contest.
UW committed eight turnovers in the first half, leading to 15 Butler points as the Bulldogs built a nine-point halftime lead. Keep in mind this is a Wisconsin team that averaged just 7.5 turnovers per game throughout the season. Take even a portion of those 15 points away and it's a ballgame.
Despite failing to execute, the Badgers still had a good shot to win if not for an abysmal shooting night. While the looks UW got were, for the most part, fairly good, they managed to shoot just over 30 percent from the field, hovering closer to the 20 percent mark for most of the second half before finishing the game with a 25-9 run.
If they shot the ball the way they are capable of, UW would probably be facing Florida on Saturday. Had played Wisconsin basketball, had they executed the basic fundamentals as they have all season, the Badgers very likely would have been able to overcome the lid being on the basket seemingly all night.
Thursday night, Butler beat Wisconsin. This doesn't mean the UW approach should be altered nor does it mean that the Wisconsin system is destined for games like this.
Thursday night, all that happened was that the Butler Bulldogs executed the fundamentals better than Wisconsin.
Wisconsin didn't score 29 points in the first 30 minutes of the game because "Wisconsin basketball" is too slow and too boring, they scored 29 point in those 30 minutes because they didn't execute the system that got them to New Orleans.
When people speak of Wisconsin Basketball, its usually about limiting turnovers, using the shot clock, getting to the foul line, making free throws and playing tough defense.
But on Thursday night, the Badgers never consistently executed on any of those principles: Eleven turnovers leading to 17 Butler points. Six missed free throws. Plenty of quick looks.
Largely the result of the late spurt that saw UW climb within four in the waning moments, junior guard Jordan Taylor paced the Badger scoring with 22 points on six of 19 shooting. But, and I doubt he would argue the point, Thursday was one of his worst performances of the season.
There is a lot of truth in the oft-mentioned axiom, "As Taylor goes, so goes the Badgers." But it isn't about scoring: Its' all about executing.
UW missed six free throws, shooting just 68.4 percent to close out a year in which they shot over 80 percent from the line. Add those six free throws and it's a whole new contest.
UW committed eight turnovers in the first half, leading to 15 Butler points as the Bulldogs built a nine-point halftime lead. Keep in mind this is a Wisconsin team that averaged just 7.5 turnovers per game throughout the season. Take even a portion of those 15 points away and it's a ballgame.
Despite failing to execute, the Badgers still had a good shot to win if not for an abysmal shooting night. While the looks UW got were, for the most part, fairly good, they managed to shoot just over 30 percent from the field, hovering closer to the 20 percent mark for most of the second half before finishing the game with a 25-9 run.
If they shot the ball the way they are capable of, UW would probably be facing Florida on Saturday. Had played Wisconsin basketball, had they executed the basic fundamentals as they have all season, the Badgers very likely would have been able to overcome the lid being on the basket seemingly all night.
Thursday night, Butler beat Wisconsin. This doesn't mean the UW approach should be altered nor does it mean that the Wisconsin system is destined for games like this.
Thursday night, all that happened was that the Butler Bulldogs executed the fundamentals better than Wisconsin.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Florida Gets Revenge in Another OT Thriller With BYU
After losing in double overtime to BYU in last season’s NCAA 1st round, the Florida Gators got the revenge they sought by beating BYU 83-74 in the Southeast Regional Semifinals, needing just one overtime to accomplish the feat.
Despite the 32 points that BYU senior guard Jimmer Fredette was able to manage, the size of Florida proved too much for a Cougar team that simply couldn’t control the Gator front line. 10 offensive rebounds led to 7 second-chance points for UF and one crucial offensive board allowed Florida to take the final shot in regulation. While the Gators were not able to convert, the rebound prevented BYU from having their shot at last-second victory, a feat that was well-within reach considering the offensive firepower Fredette and company bring.
Though the overtime battle took Florida to the limit, their struggle in moving forward to the Elite 8 was completely of their own doing. With the Gators out-shooting BYU by over 12%, the only way the Cougars got this one into an extra frame was through the dismal foul shooting of UF. In fact, the Gators shot better from the field (47.7%) than they did from the line (10/22 or 45.5%).
Alex Tyus was a force inside that BYU never quite got under control. The 6-8 senior forward paced Florida with 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting, adding 14 rebounds and 2 assists to the scoring effort. Florida has 3 more players in double-digits, while BYU’s 2nd leading scorer only managed 9 points.
Florida moves on to play against the winner of tonight’s game between Butler and Wisconsin in Saturday’s regional final.
Despite the 32 points that BYU senior guard Jimmer Fredette was able to manage, the size of Florida proved too much for a Cougar team that simply couldn’t control the Gator front line. 10 offensive rebounds led to 7 second-chance points for UF and one crucial offensive board allowed Florida to take the final shot in regulation. While the Gators were not able to convert, the rebound prevented BYU from having their shot at last-second victory, a feat that was well-within reach considering the offensive firepower Fredette and company bring.
Though the overtime battle took Florida to the limit, their struggle in moving forward to the Elite 8 was completely of their own doing. With the Gators out-shooting BYU by over 12%, the only way the Cougars got this one into an extra frame was through the dismal foul shooting of UF. In fact, the Gators shot better from the field (47.7%) than they did from the line (10/22 or 45.5%).
Alex Tyus was a force inside that BYU never quite got under control. The 6-8 senior forward paced Florida with 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting, adding 14 rebounds and 2 assists to the scoring effort. Florida has 3 more players in double-digits, while BYU’s 2nd leading scorer only managed 9 points.
Florida moves on to play against the winner of tonight’s game between Butler and Wisconsin in Saturday’s regional final.
Sweet Feelings in the "Big Easy"
Jeremy Wodajo-
The city of New Orleans is known for its infamous Mardi Gras celebration each year, and although head coach Bo Ryan and his players are still dancing in this year's NCAA Tournament, don't expect any early celebrations.
The Badgers are preparing to take on No. 8 seed Butler Thursday night in the Southeast Regional Semifinals in the Big Easy. Despite the Bulldogs' lower seeding and Horizon League roots, Wisconsin is not taking victory over last year's national runner-up for granted.
"I think Butler has won not because people have underestimated them," Ryan said. "I disagree with that because coaches and players are pretty astute when it comes to recognizing success and what people do to get there. So I really don't think they've been underestimated."
Butler, who finished second in the Horizon, is a team similar to Wisconsin in that they both focus on defense and taking care of the ball. Bulldog head coach Brad Stevens has built his team around recruiting average athletes, much like Ryan, and creating chemistry to produce success.
Despite competing in a mid-major conference, Butler has separated itself once again as a national power this year. But after dominating the Horizon League in 2010 they struggled this season, going 13-5, and had to defeat UW-Milwaukee in the conference championship to earn their fifth consecutive NCAA tournament bid.
"Obviously they're a team that was here in this position last year," senior forward Keaton Nankivil said. "You just get the feeling that nothing is going to rattle them so we're going to have to play a pretty solid game and do whatever we do well in order to win this one."
In four seasons, the 35 year-old Stevens has compiled a 114-24 record and took Butler to its first Final Four.
"There's a guy that got an opportunity and he's putting the pedal to the metal," Ryan said. "The important thing as a coach is you see the game a certain way, your players have to see it that way. And he's done that with his teams."
On the other hand, Ryan has advanced to his fourth Sweet 16 since becoming head coach for the Badgers in 2001.
Ryan has never battled with Butler since joining UW, but is still familiar with the Bulldog program. Ryan went 0-5 against Butler during his two seasons as head coach at UW-Milwaukee, and the Butler program was under a different coach then, Ryan has gained mutual respect for Butler.
"[Stevens] is in a program where assistants took over the head job because they were successful," Ryan said. "That's a pretty good thing to have at an institution where you have that trust factor in the so‑called family of coaches. It's a good situation where basketball is extremely important at Butler ... and it's a great environment."
Despite the comfort of being one of a handful of teams still competing, Ryan's ultimate goal lies in Houston and the Final Four, a stage he has yet to obtain in his career.
"There's 16 of us left, we'll see what four end up there," Ryan said. "Obviously that's what everybody is trying to do. It would be nice to get there."
The city of New Orleans is known for its infamous Mardi Gras celebration each year, and although head coach Bo Ryan and his players are still dancing in this year's NCAA Tournament, don't expect any early celebrations.
The Badgers are preparing to take on No. 8 seed Butler Thursday night in the Southeast Regional Semifinals in the Big Easy. Despite the Bulldogs' lower seeding and Horizon League roots, Wisconsin is not taking victory over last year's national runner-up for granted.
"I think Butler has won not because people have underestimated them," Ryan said. "I disagree with that because coaches and players are pretty astute when it comes to recognizing success and what people do to get there. So I really don't think they've been underestimated."
Butler, who finished second in the Horizon, is a team similar to Wisconsin in that they both focus on defense and taking care of the ball. Bulldog head coach Brad Stevens has built his team around recruiting average athletes, much like Ryan, and creating chemistry to produce success.
Despite competing in a mid-major conference, Butler has separated itself once again as a national power this year. But after dominating the Horizon League in 2010 they struggled this season, going 13-5, and had to defeat UW-Milwaukee in the conference championship to earn their fifth consecutive NCAA tournament bid.
"Obviously they're a team that was here in this position last year," senior forward Keaton Nankivil said. "You just get the feeling that nothing is going to rattle them so we're going to have to play a pretty solid game and do whatever we do well in order to win this one."
In four seasons, the 35 year-old Stevens has compiled a 114-24 record and took Butler to its first Final Four.
"There's a guy that got an opportunity and he's putting the pedal to the metal," Ryan said. "The important thing as a coach is you see the game a certain way, your players have to see it that way. And he's done that with his teams."
On the other hand, Ryan has advanced to his fourth Sweet 16 since becoming head coach for the Badgers in 2001.
Ryan has never battled with Butler since joining UW, but is still familiar with the Bulldog program. Ryan went 0-5 against Butler during his two seasons as head coach at UW-Milwaukee, and the Butler program was under a different coach then, Ryan has gained mutual respect for Butler.
"[Stevens] is in a program where assistants took over the head job because they were successful," Ryan said. "That's a pretty good thing to have at an institution where you have that trust factor in the so‑called family of coaches. It's a good situation where basketball is extremely important at Butler ... and it's a great environment."
Despite the comfort of being one of a handful of teams still competing, Ryan's ultimate goal lies in Houston and the Final Four, a stage he has yet to obtain in his career.
"There's 16 of us left, we'll see what four end up there," Ryan said. "Obviously that's what everybody is trying to do. It would be nice to get there."
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
UW Style of Play Might Be "Boring", But Its Effective
The swing offense employed by Bo Ryan during his tenure as the Badger men's basketball head coach has never been among the more exciting systems to watch. But with three Big Ten regular season titles, two conference tournament titles and an NCAA appearance every season at UW, Ryan has proven that it works.
Though Ryan and the Badgers have come to be known by that slow, methodical style of offense, the former UW-Platteville coach made a name for himself with a completely different style of play. During his tenure at the Division III powerhouse, Ryan employed a fast-paced, pressuring style of play on both ends of the floor en route to 353 wins and four NCAA titles.
While Platteville relied on speed, quickness and endurance, the Wisconsin program looks for strength, size and basketball IQ when searching for recruits.
Answering yet another question about the so-called "Wisconsin basketball" style, Ryan emphasized the lack of a concrete philosophy.
"We just try to be on the left-hand side when the buzzer sounds," Ryan said after Saturday's NCAA Tournament win that put the Badgers to the Sweet 16.
The emphasis on controlling tempo, limiting turnovers and using the shot clock was developed not on an overriding philosophy of play held by Ryan and his staff, but rather on the reality that the players available to him excelled in those areas.
"I just don't understand when people always refer to ‘Wisconsin basketball,'" Ryan said. "I'm sure there's a manual out there that says that if you don't turn the ball over a lot you get to the free-throw line, you make your free throws, and you work hard on defense and you take good shots, if you want to call that Wisconsin basketball, amen. That is us."
In the end, the particulars that the national media has come to define "Wisconsin basketball" by are particulars any coach would love to have his players take to heart.
"Any team doesn't like committing turnovers too much," junior guard Jordan Taylor said. "Everybody on our team can come in and make plays and spread the floor and everybody is good at making decisions so it makes things easier."
While focusing on fundamentals isn't flashy, it produces results. In the NCAA tournament the Badgers proved that this "boring" system could take down a much more "exciting" offensive program.
The swing offense took down an up-tempo team from Belmont and then proceeded to squeak by a similarly styled and much more physically gifted Kansas State team on Saturday night.
"If people think we're boring," Taylor said, "there are a lot of channels on TV they can watch."
As more people are beginning to appreciate "Wisconsin basketball," namely the result it produces, perhaps those remotes will get a rest come tip time on Thursday night.
Though Ryan and the Badgers have come to be known by that slow, methodical style of offense, the former UW-Platteville coach made a name for himself with a completely different style of play. During his tenure at the Division III powerhouse, Ryan employed a fast-paced, pressuring style of play on both ends of the floor en route to 353 wins and four NCAA titles.
While Platteville relied on speed, quickness and endurance, the Wisconsin program looks for strength, size and basketball IQ when searching for recruits.
Answering yet another question about the so-called "Wisconsin basketball" style, Ryan emphasized the lack of a concrete philosophy.
"We just try to be on the left-hand side when the buzzer sounds," Ryan said after Saturday's NCAA Tournament win that put the Badgers to the Sweet 16.
The emphasis on controlling tempo, limiting turnovers and using the shot clock was developed not on an overriding philosophy of play held by Ryan and his staff, but rather on the reality that the players available to him excelled in those areas.
"I just don't understand when people always refer to ‘Wisconsin basketball,'" Ryan said. "I'm sure there's a manual out there that says that if you don't turn the ball over a lot you get to the free-throw line, you make your free throws, and you work hard on defense and you take good shots, if you want to call that Wisconsin basketball, amen. That is us."
In the end, the particulars that the national media has come to define "Wisconsin basketball" by are particulars any coach would love to have his players take to heart.
"Any team doesn't like committing turnovers too much," junior guard Jordan Taylor said. "Everybody on our team can come in and make plays and spread the floor and everybody is good at making decisions so it makes things easier."
While focusing on fundamentals isn't flashy, it produces results. In the NCAA tournament the Badgers proved that this "boring" system could take down a much more "exciting" offensive program.
The swing offense took down an up-tempo team from Belmont and then proceeded to squeak by a similarly styled and much more physically gifted Kansas State team on Saturday night.
"If people think we're boring," Taylor said, "there are a lot of channels on TV they can watch."
As more people are beginning to appreciate "Wisconsin basketball," namely the result it produces, perhaps those remotes will get a rest come tip time on Thursday night.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Badgers Head Home With Sweet Taste of Victory Over KSU
Having to come from behind yet again, the Badgers looked very much at home in erasing a 6-point deficit over the final 8 minutes to grab a 70-65 win over Kansas State (23-11).
In order to move on to the Sweet 16 next weekend in New Orleans, UW (25-8) had to overcome a poor shooting night for junior guard Jordan Taylor (2/16 from the field) while also matching the points that Kansas State senior guard Jacob Pullen was putting up on seemingly every possession. Pullen finished with 38 points but the loss means that his career performance will also be his last in a Wildcat uniform.
Though Pullen clearly came out victorious in what many media types had billed “Jacob vs. Jordan”, Jordan will be the one in uniform for Thursday’s regional semifinal.
“The scoreboard on the bottom of the TV doesn’t say Jordan vs. Jacob,” Taylor said after the game. “It says Wisconsin vs. Kansas State and we won.”
With Taylor unable to get going on the offensive end, it was up to the supporting cast to keep the Badgers’ season alive.
Senior forward Tim Jarmusz had 8 points on 3-3 from the field. Freshman guard Josh Gasser had 11 on 3-4 from the field, adding 7 rebounds and 4 free throws in the process, the last two of those icing the game with 1.1 seconds to play.
“We just made plays,” senior forward Jon Leuer said. “Everybody stepped up, right down the line.”
But perhaps the biggest contribution came from sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz. No longer known simply as the team redhead, the hero of the February 12th victory over No.1 Ohio State came through again. In only his second game since suffering what at the time appeared to be a serious knee injury, Bruesewitz gave UW 11 points and 6 rebounds, none of those points bigger than the 3 that came with just over 90 seconds to play, giving the Badgers the lead for good.
“He’s done it against Ohio State and he did it again tonight,” Taylor added. “He’s one of the toughest kids I’ve known and he’s a heck of a teammate.”
After relying on the production of Taylor and Leuer for much of the season, the supporting cast seems to have found its footing just in time for a tournament run. Ultimately, the 15 bench points, not to mention the 19 from Gasser and Jarmusz, proved to be the difference with UW’s two first team All-Big Ten performers just 8/26 combined from the field.
“I think guys are realizing that we need to be confident,” Bruesewitz said. “Confidence is a big thing in March.”
While the shooting stats seem to indicate a night of frustration for Taylor, he was able to control possession throughout the game and make plays down the stretch that were crucial in getting UW out on the left side of the scoreboard.
“His 6-to-0 assist to turnover ratio says that he stayed focused when he was having a rough time scoring,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “He’s a taskmaster of his own skills and his own abilities and he’s not going to throw the rest of it away simply because some things have gotten away from him.”
Taylor controlled the Wisconsin offensive and kept his leadership role, eventually making a big play of his own by blocking Pullen’s attempt at a game-tying three-point shot.
“I was just trying to do something to slow him down and play my part in the win,” Taylor said. “And that happened to be it.”
While many still feel “Wisconsin basketball” lacks excitement, the Badgers are in the Sweet 16 and remain alive for a title run.
“We come out and play hard every day…” Taylor said. “If people think we’re boring, there are a lot of channels on TV they can watch.”
“We just try to be on the left-hand side when the buzzer sounds,” Ryan added.
Ultimately, the Badgers did just that in both games in Tucson and earned their way into a regional date in New Orleans against 8-seed Butler.
In order to move on to the Sweet 16 next weekend in New Orleans, UW (25-8) had to overcome a poor shooting night for junior guard Jordan Taylor (2/16 from the field) while also matching the points that Kansas State senior guard Jacob Pullen was putting up on seemingly every possession. Pullen finished with 38 points but the loss means that his career performance will also be his last in a Wildcat uniform.
Though Pullen clearly came out victorious in what many media types had billed “Jacob vs. Jordan”, Jordan will be the one in uniform for Thursday’s regional semifinal.
“The scoreboard on the bottom of the TV doesn’t say Jordan vs. Jacob,” Taylor said after the game. “It says Wisconsin vs. Kansas State and we won.”
With Taylor unable to get going on the offensive end, it was up to the supporting cast to keep the Badgers’ season alive.
Senior forward Tim Jarmusz had 8 points on 3-3 from the field. Freshman guard Josh Gasser had 11 on 3-4 from the field, adding 7 rebounds and 4 free throws in the process, the last two of those icing the game with 1.1 seconds to play.
“We just made plays,” senior forward Jon Leuer said. “Everybody stepped up, right down the line.”
But perhaps the biggest contribution came from sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz. No longer known simply as the team redhead, the hero of the February 12th victory over No.1 Ohio State came through again. In only his second game since suffering what at the time appeared to be a serious knee injury, Bruesewitz gave UW 11 points and 6 rebounds, none of those points bigger than the 3 that came with just over 90 seconds to play, giving the Badgers the lead for good.
“He’s done it against Ohio State and he did it again tonight,” Taylor added. “He’s one of the toughest kids I’ve known and he’s a heck of a teammate.”
After relying on the production of Taylor and Leuer for much of the season, the supporting cast seems to have found its footing just in time for a tournament run. Ultimately, the 15 bench points, not to mention the 19 from Gasser and Jarmusz, proved to be the difference with UW’s two first team All-Big Ten performers just 8/26 combined from the field.
“I think guys are realizing that we need to be confident,” Bruesewitz said. “Confidence is a big thing in March.”
While the shooting stats seem to indicate a night of frustration for Taylor, he was able to control possession throughout the game and make plays down the stretch that were crucial in getting UW out on the left side of the scoreboard.
“His 6-to-0 assist to turnover ratio says that he stayed focused when he was having a rough time scoring,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “He’s a taskmaster of his own skills and his own abilities and he’s not going to throw the rest of it away simply because some things have gotten away from him.”
Taylor controlled the Wisconsin offensive and kept his leadership role, eventually making a big play of his own by blocking Pullen’s attempt at a game-tying three-point shot.
“I was just trying to do something to slow him down and play my part in the win,” Taylor said. “And that happened to be it.”
While many still feel “Wisconsin basketball” lacks excitement, the Badgers are in the Sweet 16 and remain alive for a title run.
“We come out and play hard every day…” Taylor said. “If people think we’re boring, there are a lot of channels on TV they can watch.”
“We just try to be on the left-hand side when the buzzer sounds,” Ryan added.
Ultimately, the Badgers did just that in both games in Tucson and earned their way into a regional date in New Orleans against 8-seed Butler.
Badgers Set to Face Kansas State in 3rd Round Matchup
Whether you call it the second round or the third round, Wisconsin (24-8) will face Kansas State (23-10) this afternoon in Tucson with a spot in the Southeast Regional on the line. Looking for their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2008, the Badgers will have to bring their A game if they hope to top a Wildcat team that has rebounded from a mid-season slide to once again play up to their billing as one of the most talented teams in the nation.
As with Thursday's battle with Belmont, Saturday will be a matchup of complete opposites. Wisconsin likes to slow the game down and play 40 minutes of physical, defensive-minded basketball while KSU is one of the more explosive offensive teams in the nation, averaging over 73 points per game throughout the season.
"I think just we have to do exactly what they're trying to do, play at our own pace," junior guard Jordan Taylor said Friday. "Play at the pace that we're comfortable at, you know. And we feel like we can make plays at a lot of different speeds. Just stay within ourselves and within our scheme. And just trying to make plays out of that."
In order to manage the pace and tempo of the game, the Badgers will have to neutralize the potent offensive weapon that is Wildcat senior guard Jacob Pullen. A teammate of UW senior forward Jon Leuer on the USA Select Team, Pullen is one of the best guards in the nation, fully capable of putting his team on his back both offensively and defensively.
"Players like that definitely bring out the best in you," Taylor added. "You definitely have to bring your A game. But at the end of the day it's about the team."
With both teams having beaten a top-ranked team thus far this season (Wisconsin over Ohio State, Kansas State over Kansas), the team that is able to bring their A game to McKale Center on Saturday afternoon will be tough to beat.
In order for the Badgers to do just that, they will have to handle the full-court pressure that Coach Frank Martin has made a hallmark of the Wildcats' game.
"Well, what makes for good pressure is anticipation, length in the passing lanes, trying to get you to do things that you don't see everyday..." UW head coach Bo Ryan said at Friday's press conference. "So hopefully we'll be able to get our looks. And if they extend too much, maybe we can get some easy baskets or attack a rim, maybe get somebody in foul trouble."
Against Belmont, the Badgers were able to do just that, holding the Bruins to just 58 points while committing only 12 turnovers (high for UW, low for virtually anyone else). But while the pressure Kansas State brings will be similar to Belmont's, the Wildcats have far more size, presenting yet another challenge to the Badgers' tournament run.
Much of that size comes from the frontcourt duo of senior Curtis Kelly and junior Jamar Samuels. The two bigs have combined for 19 points and nearly 11 rebounds per game.
"From what I've seen them do they can do a lot," UW senior forward Jon Leuer said. "They're both very active and long and athletic. So, you know, they have good touch around the basket. They're physical. And, you know, we're going to have to do our best to try to limit their touches and, you know, not let them get into a rhythm."
While Wisconsin comes in as the seed-wise favorite, it is Kansas State that hopes to avoid a disappointing end to a truly topsy turvy season. For a Badger team that was forecast to simply be in the mix for a bubble spot, a win Saturday would be icing on an already surprising cake of a season.
As with Thursday's battle with Belmont, Saturday will be a matchup of complete opposites. Wisconsin likes to slow the game down and play 40 minutes of physical, defensive-minded basketball while KSU is one of the more explosive offensive teams in the nation, averaging over 73 points per game throughout the season.
"I think just we have to do exactly what they're trying to do, play at our own pace," junior guard Jordan Taylor said Friday. "Play at the pace that we're comfortable at, you know. And we feel like we can make plays at a lot of different speeds. Just stay within ourselves and within our scheme. And just trying to make plays out of that."
In order to manage the pace and tempo of the game, the Badgers will have to neutralize the potent offensive weapon that is Wildcat senior guard Jacob Pullen. A teammate of UW senior forward Jon Leuer on the USA Select Team, Pullen is one of the best guards in the nation, fully capable of putting his team on his back both offensively and defensively.
"Players like that definitely bring out the best in you," Taylor added. "You definitely have to bring your A game. But at the end of the day it's about the team."
With both teams having beaten a top-ranked team thus far this season (Wisconsin over Ohio State, Kansas State over Kansas), the team that is able to bring their A game to McKale Center on Saturday afternoon will be tough to beat.
In order for the Badgers to do just that, they will have to handle the full-court pressure that Coach Frank Martin has made a hallmark of the Wildcats' game.
"Well, what makes for good pressure is anticipation, length in the passing lanes, trying to get you to do things that you don't see everyday..." UW head coach Bo Ryan said at Friday's press conference. "So hopefully we'll be able to get our looks. And if they extend too much, maybe we can get some easy baskets or attack a rim, maybe get somebody in foul trouble."
Against Belmont, the Badgers were able to do just that, holding the Bruins to just 58 points while committing only 12 turnovers (high for UW, low for virtually anyone else). But while the pressure Kansas State brings will be similar to Belmont's, the Wildcats have far more size, presenting yet another challenge to the Badgers' tournament run.
Much of that size comes from the frontcourt duo of senior Curtis Kelly and junior Jamar Samuels. The two bigs have combined for 19 points and nearly 11 rebounds per game.
"From what I've seen them do they can do a lot," UW senior forward Jon Leuer said. "They're both very active and long and athletic. So, you know, they have good touch around the basket. They're physical. And, you know, we're going to have to do our best to try to limit their touches and, you know, not let them get into a rhythm."
While Wisconsin comes in as the seed-wise favorite, it is Kansas State that hopes to avoid a disappointing end to a truly topsy turvy season. For a Badger team that was forecast to simply be in the mix for a bubble spot, a win Saturday would be icing on an already surprising cake of a season.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Badgers Get Back on Their Game in 2nd Round Win
Said by many to be the trendy pick to be upset in the 2nd (formerly first) round of the NCAA Tournament, Wisconsin came out like a team on a mission and shot their way to a 72-58 win over 13 seed Belmont. The victory snaps a 2-game losing streak for the Badgers and puts them one win away from a Regional appearance.
Though the Badgers spent the majority of the 2nd half holding a comfortable lead, it was the Bruins (30-5) who controlled the game in the early going. Taking advantage of 7 UW turnovers in the first half, Belmont was not only able to hang with the Badgers early, but in fact held a 2 point lead with 4 minutes left in the 1st half.
But once senior forward Jon Leuer hit his first three-pointer to give UW another lead, there was no turning back. Leuer’s triple began an 11-2 run to finish the half that gave the Badgers a 7-point halftime lead.
Though Belmont shot their way within 4 just over 6 minutes into the 2nd half, the Badgers came out of a UW timeout and after Keaton Nankivil’s missed three-point shot was tipped back, Jordan Taylor found sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz wide open in the right corner for a dagger that pushed the lead back to 7. Ultimately, Belmont would get no closer as UW bumped their lead to as much as 18.
“That play was so huge,” Taylor said. “Tim just you know, the same thing coach always talks about staying on the glass, staying aggressive, staying in the play and that has to be one of the biggest plays of the game. It's a four point game and Tim keeps it alive and Mike makes a great shot. Just a lot of aggressive play on our guys' part and it's huge.”
Coming off of a nasty looking injury sustained in Friday night’s Big Ten Tournament loss, Bruesewitz’s contribution off the bench had an enormous impact.
“It was huge for us,” Leuer said after the game. “He came in right off the bench, got an offensive rebound, put it back in, like, behind his head. And I saw the guys on the bench get pretty excited about that. Especially, you know, after what he's been through and he's battled back.”
Despite the positive outcome, there were definitely aspects of UW’s performance that need to improve come Saturday. In no small part caused by the pressuring style of Belmont’s defense, a defense that forced nearly 20 turnovers per game during the regular season, UW committed 13 turnovers, 6 more than their season average. Those 13 turnovers led to 16 Belmont points.
“Now we got a quick turnaround,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “We can't really change the way we play. Coaches would always like a little more time to prepare for a team. So we got to see in the second round here if we can get the guys to understand in a short period of time what it is that our next opponent likes to do.”
With room to improve and yet plenty to be proud of, the Badgers now look forward to a matchup with the winner of the ongoing game between Kansas State and Utah State. Tip off on Saturday will be announced on Friday.
“We won't be getting too revved up about this,” Ryan said. “What we got to do is get ready to see who wins this second game and prepare for Saturday.”
Though the Badgers spent the majority of the 2nd half holding a comfortable lead, it was the Bruins (30-5) who controlled the game in the early going. Taking advantage of 7 UW turnovers in the first half, Belmont was not only able to hang with the Badgers early, but in fact held a 2 point lead with 4 minutes left in the 1st half.
But once senior forward Jon Leuer hit his first three-pointer to give UW another lead, there was no turning back. Leuer’s triple began an 11-2 run to finish the half that gave the Badgers a 7-point halftime lead.
Though Belmont shot their way within 4 just over 6 minutes into the 2nd half, the Badgers came out of a UW timeout and after Keaton Nankivil’s missed three-point shot was tipped back, Jordan Taylor found sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz wide open in the right corner for a dagger that pushed the lead back to 7. Ultimately, Belmont would get no closer as UW bumped their lead to as much as 18.
“That play was so huge,” Taylor said. “Tim just you know, the same thing coach always talks about staying on the glass, staying aggressive, staying in the play and that has to be one of the biggest plays of the game. It's a four point game and Tim keeps it alive and Mike makes a great shot. Just a lot of aggressive play on our guys' part and it's huge.”
Coming off of a nasty looking injury sustained in Friday night’s Big Ten Tournament loss, Bruesewitz’s contribution off the bench had an enormous impact.
“It was huge for us,” Leuer said after the game. “He came in right off the bench, got an offensive rebound, put it back in, like, behind his head. And I saw the guys on the bench get pretty excited about that. Especially, you know, after what he's been through and he's battled back.”
Despite the positive outcome, there were definitely aspects of UW’s performance that need to improve come Saturday. In no small part caused by the pressuring style of Belmont’s defense, a defense that forced nearly 20 turnovers per game during the regular season, UW committed 13 turnovers, 6 more than their season average. Those 13 turnovers led to 16 Belmont points.
“Now we got a quick turnaround,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “We can't really change the way we play. Coaches would always like a little more time to prepare for a team. So we got to see in the second round here if we can get the guys to understand in a short period of time what it is that our next opponent likes to do.”
With room to improve and yet plenty to be proud of, the Badgers now look forward to a matchup with the winner of the ongoing game between Kansas State and Utah State. Tip off on Saturday will be announced on Friday.
“We won't be getting too revved up about this,” Ryan said. “What we got to do is get ready to see who wins this second game and prepare for Saturday.”
Badgers set to Battle Belmont in NCAA Tournament
TUCSON, Ariz—After a day of fun in the sun at the team resort, Wisconsin men's basketball has arrived at the University of Arizona's McKale Center to begin the work of preparing for Thursday's NCAA 1st Round matchup with Atlantic Sun Champion Belmont.
While the Bruins (30-4, 19-1) havent had the toughest of schedules, they are a team accustomed to winning and very much at home in the NCAA Tournament.
With many looking back to their near-upset of No. 2 seed Duke back in 2008, Belmont is the trendy pick to upset the Badgers in the tournament opener.
"I dont know what people say," head coach Bo Ryan said somewhat sarcastically on Wednesday. "I just know how good our opponent is. That's what we can prepare for."
Thursday will be a tempo battle as Belmont relies upon a 12-man rotation to play run-and-gun basketball centered around forcing turnovers and generating easy baskets.
"Controlling tempo is huge in basketball and that's something we are definitely going to try to do," senior forward Jon Leuer said. "Being able to control the pace and the tempo is going to be a crucial point for this game."
The Badgers did get a welcome bit of news Wednesday as sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz returned to practice and may even be ready to play tomorrow. Considering how bad the knee injury looked when it happened on Friday night, any contribution would be a welcome addition for the Badgers.
After the last two games, both ending in pretty disastrous fashion, the spark Bruesewitz brings might be big in getting UW back on track. Having lost consecutive games for the first time since 2008, the Badgers said they are not planning on making it three in a row.
"Those games are behind us," junior guard Jordan Taylor said. "We're not even thinking about that at this point. Its a new season [and] we're 0-0 as far as we're concerned."
Tip time from sunny Tucson, Ariz. is set for 6:27 p.m. Madison time and can bee seen on truTV.
While the Bruins (30-4, 19-1) havent had the toughest of schedules, they are a team accustomed to winning and very much at home in the NCAA Tournament.
With many looking back to their near-upset of No. 2 seed Duke back in 2008, Belmont is the trendy pick to upset the Badgers in the tournament opener.
"I dont know what people say," head coach Bo Ryan said somewhat sarcastically on Wednesday. "I just know how good our opponent is. That's what we can prepare for."
Thursday will be a tempo battle as Belmont relies upon a 12-man rotation to play run-and-gun basketball centered around forcing turnovers and generating easy baskets.
"Controlling tempo is huge in basketball and that's something we are definitely going to try to do," senior forward Jon Leuer said. "Being able to control the pace and the tempo is going to be a crucial point for this game."
The Badgers did get a welcome bit of news Wednesday as sophomore forward Mike Bruesewitz returned to practice and may even be ready to play tomorrow. Considering how bad the knee injury looked when it happened on Friday night, any contribution would be a welcome addition for the Badgers.
After the last two games, both ending in pretty disastrous fashion, the spark Bruesewitz brings might be big in getting UW back on track. Having lost consecutive games for the first time since 2008, the Badgers said they are not planning on making it three in a row.
"Those games are behind us," junior guard Jordan Taylor said. "We're not even thinking about that at this point. Its a new season [and] we're 0-0 as far as we're concerned."
Tip time from sunny Tucson, Ariz. is set for 6:27 p.m. Madison time and can bee seen on truTV.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Fourth-Seeded Badgers Draw Belmont in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament
UWbadgers.com-
MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin men’s basketball team (23-8) received a No. 4 seed in the Southeast Region and will face 13th-seeded Belmont (30-4) in the second round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament on Thursday in Tucson, Ariz. UW will be making its 13th-consecutive appearance in the Big Dance.
Wisconsin owns a record of 21-15 all-time in the NCAA tournament, including a 12-9 mark under head coach Bo Ryan.
The winner of UW vs. Belmont will meet the winner of the game between No. 5 Kansas State and No. 12 Utah State on Saturday.
The Badgers are a No. 4 seed for the second-straight year and are 2-0 all-time against No. 13 seeds in the NCAA tournament after defeating 13-seeded Tulsa in 2003 and No. 13 Wofford last year.
UW has earned a top-six seed in seven of its 10 NCAA tournament appearances under Ryan, including seeds of No. 4 or higher in three of the last four seasons.
Belmont, located in Nashville, Tenn., enters its fourth NCAA tournament in school history with an automatic bid after winning the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament championship last weekend. The Bruins have made all four of their NCAA tournament appearances since 2006.
Important News Regarding NCAA Men's Basketball Secord/Third Round Tournament Tickets
The Wisconsin Athletic Ticket Office will be accept requests for second/third round tickets beginning Sunday, March 13 at 7 p.m., and ending Monday, March 14 at 1 p.m. online at UWBadgers.com.
For your convenience, requests will also be accepted by phone on Monday, March 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. by calling 1-800-GO-BADGERS.
Requests will only be accepted from Coach's Club level donors (minimum $1,000 donated in 2010) and above. Donors will be notified via e-mail as to the status of their request on Monday afternoon. Donors who make requests but do not receive an e-mail notification regarding their request should contact the Athletic Ticket Office.
If tickets remain after the initial offering to donors at the Coach’s Club level and above, tickets will be sold to donors at the Captain’s Club level and season ticket-holders on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 2 p.m., while supplies last.
General public tickets will be sold beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15, ONLY if tickets remain after the initial offerings to donors and season ticket-holders.
Second round tickets are $81. If Wisconsin advances, third round tickets will also be $81. Patrons will automatically receive third round tickets if and only if Wisconsin wins its second round game.
MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin men’s basketball team (23-8) received a No. 4 seed in the Southeast Region and will face 13th-seeded Belmont (30-4) in the second round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament on Thursday in Tucson, Ariz. UW will be making its 13th-consecutive appearance in the Big Dance.
Wisconsin owns a record of 21-15 all-time in the NCAA tournament, including a 12-9 mark under head coach Bo Ryan.
The winner of UW vs. Belmont will meet the winner of the game between No. 5 Kansas State and No. 12 Utah State on Saturday.
The Badgers are a No. 4 seed for the second-straight year and are 2-0 all-time against No. 13 seeds in the NCAA tournament after defeating 13-seeded Tulsa in 2003 and No. 13 Wofford last year.
UW has earned a top-six seed in seven of its 10 NCAA tournament appearances under Ryan, including seeds of No. 4 or higher in three of the last four seasons.
Belmont, located in Nashville, Tenn., enters its fourth NCAA tournament in school history with an automatic bid after winning the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament championship last weekend. The Bruins have made all four of their NCAA tournament appearances since 2006.
Important News Regarding NCAA Men's Basketball Secord/Third Round Tournament Tickets
The Wisconsin Athletic Ticket Office will be accept requests for second/third round tickets beginning Sunday, March 13 at 7 p.m., and ending Monday, March 14 at 1 p.m. online at UWBadgers.com.
For your convenience, requests will also be accepted by phone on Monday, March 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. by calling 1-800-GO-BADGERS.
Requests will only be accepted from Coach's Club level donors (minimum $1,000 donated in 2010) and above. Donors will be notified via e-mail as to the status of their request on Monday afternoon. Donors who make requests but do not receive an e-mail notification regarding their request should contact the Athletic Ticket Office.
If tickets remain after the initial offering to donors at the Coach’s Club level and above, tickets will be sold to donors at the Captain’s Club level and season ticket-holders on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 2 p.m., while supplies last.
General public tickets will be sold beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15, ONLY if tickets remain after the initial offerings to donors and season ticket-holders.
Second round tickets are $81. If Wisconsin advances, third round tickets will also be $81. Patrons will automatically receive third round tickets if and only if Wisconsin wins its second round game.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Big Ten Tournament Preview
So I realize I am a little late but considering I am not a professional journalist and thus have a little thing called school, I'd say the timing isnt that bad. Anyway, no surprise with Minnesota continuing the collapse of their season with a loss to Northwestern in the First Round.
The Wildcats now move on to face Ohio State in tomorrow's opener, so the optimism in Evanston will likely be short-lived.
Now we get to the meat of the tournament. Just about to tip is the 7/10 matchup between Michigan State and Iowa. Michigan State is perhaps the toughest team to diagnose in college basketball. After another Final Four run last season (without the tournament services of Kalin Lucas), expectations couldnt have been higher for the Spartans, who returned virtually every contributor outside of Raymar Morgan, whose impact on the MSU program is more evident every day they spend without him. The loss of Kris Allen over the summer didnt help and once a tough non-conference slate resulted in a slow start, MSU had their backs against the wall. When Korey Lucious was dismissed from the team and Sparty proceeded to get blown out against Iowa and Wisconsin, things werent looking good. Still, Michigan State has been known to get the job done even when it looks impossible to complete. They come into the postseason squarely on the bubble after another loss at the hands of in-state rival Michigan and now find themselves surely needing a victory against Iowa, and perhaps even an upset of #9 Purdue to move to the Big Dance.
On the other hand, Iowa can into 2011 with no expectations whatsoever. With Fran McCaffery coming in to resurrect the program, onlookers knew the Hawkeyes had something going, but the youth made it much more likely that Iowa was a year or two away. Though they have had their struggles, the Hawkeyes have the talent to beat anyone and have proven it. They took Wisconsin and Ohio State to the brink, beat MSU by 20 earlier in the conference season, and finished off the regular season by upsetting Purdue to clinch the Big Ten title Ohio State. Michigan State cannot overlook their first round opponent if they hope to have a deep run into the postseason yet again.
The late game features another tourney hopeful in Penn State. After running off a rash of home upsets, the Nittany Lions cooled off before picking up a big road victory this past weekend against the slumping Gophers. Still, they currently find themselves on the outside looking in and likely need to not only take care of business against Indiana, but also pull off an upset of #13 Wisconsin on Friday night. But they have beaten Wisconsin already this season and with the duo of Talor Battle and Jeff Brooks leading a high-powered offensive attack, PSU is always dangerous.
Indiana is on the way up, but they are nowhere close to the title picture. With a disjointed roster that has yet to fully embrace Tom Crean's system, the Hoosiers figure to give PSU a good effort, but lack the talent to really compete. That said, Indiana has been known to make teams pay for looking ahead and Thursday could very well be a similar situation.
Tomorrow will be crucial. The day opens with OSU facing Northwestern (likely a laugher), but immediately follows with a 4/5 matchup that will put one team into the NCAA Tournament and send one team home squarely on the bubble. With a very young roster, Michigan seemed to be in rebuild mode this season. But after beating running off a series of big conference wins, the Wolverines got themselves into the mix. While the buzzer-beater by Wisconsin's Josh Gasser seemed at the time a dagger to the heart of the Wolverines, subsequent wins at Minnesota and against Michigan State seem to have put Michigan in a position for their 2nd tournament appearance in 3 years.
Illinois didnt expect to be on the bubble. Led by a talented group of underachieving seniors, Illini nation thought that this would be the year Demetri McCamey and crew would finally break through and cement themselves among the nation's elite. After solid non-conference wins against Gonzaga and UNC, the Illini carried those expectations into Big Ten play, only to see them come crashing down with losses at Penn State, Northwestern, and Indiana. After losing in East Lansing, their position on the bubble was pretty well-established.
The night session will feature Purdue against (in all likelihood) a desperate Spartan team. Though Purdue has been one of the most consistent teams in the nation, their weekend loss to Iowa highlighted a vulnerability that MSU will be anxious to take advantage of. When Tom Izzo's crew really needs to get a win, they USUALLY do.
The first full day comes to a close with #13 Wisconsin trying to put to bed worries about their ability to win in the postseason. After a nearly identical record during the regular season, the Badgers will be motivated not only by a desire to make amends for last year's first-round exit at the hands of Illinois, but also for the 28-point drubbing they underwent on Sunday in Columbus. The Badgers have beaten every team in the conference and they are intent on getting themselves in position for rematches with Purdue and Ohio State.
Whatever side you are on in the "Best Conference" debate, the Big Ten Tournament is the most competitive from top to bottom of the weekend.
The Wildcats now move on to face Ohio State in tomorrow's opener, so the optimism in Evanston will likely be short-lived.
Now we get to the meat of the tournament. Just about to tip is the 7/10 matchup between Michigan State and Iowa. Michigan State is perhaps the toughest team to diagnose in college basketball. After another Final Four run last season (without the tournament services of Kalin Lucas), expectations couldnt have been higher for the Spartans, who returned virtually every contributor outside of Raymar Morgan, whose impact on the MSU program is more evident every day they spend without him. The loss of Kris Allen over the summer didnt help and once a tough non-conference slate resulted in a slow start, MSU had their backs against the wall. When Korey Lucious was dismissed from the team and Sparty proceeded to get blown out against Iowa and Wisconsin, things werent looking good. Still, Michigan State has been known to get the job done even when it looks impossible to complete. They come into the postseason squarely on the bubble after another loss at the hands of in-state rival Michigan and now find themselves surely needing a victory against Iowa, and perhaps even an upset of #9 Purdue to move to the Big Dance.
On the other hand, Iowa can into 2011 with no expectations whatsoever. With Fran McCaffery coming in to resurrect the program, onlookers knew the Hawkeyes had something going, but the youth made it much more likely that Iowa was a year or two away. Though they have had their struggles, the Hawkeyes have the talent to beat anyone and have proven it. They took Wisconsin and Ohio State to the brink, beat MSU by 20 earlier in the conference season, and finished off the regular season by upsetting Purdue to clinch the Big Ten title Ohio State. Michigan State cannot overlook their first round opponent if they hope to have a deep run into the postseason yet again.
The late game features another tourney hopeful in Penn State. After running off a rash of home upsets, the Nittany Lions cooled off before picking up a big road victory this past weekend against the slumping Gophers. Still, they currently find themselves on the outside looking in and likely need to not only take care of business against Indiana, but also pull off an upset of #13 Wisconsin on Friday night. But they have beaten Wisconsin already this season and with the duo of Talor Battle and Jeff Brooks leading a high-powered offensive attack, PSU is always dangerous.
Indiana is on the way up, but they are nowhere close to the title picture. With a disjointed roster that has yet to fully embrace Tom Crean's system, the Hoosiers figure to give PSU a good effort, but lack the talent to really compete. That said, Indiana has been known to make teams pay for looking ahead and Thursday could very well be a similar situation.
Tomorrow will be crucial. The day opens with OSU facing Northwestern (likely a laugher), but immediately follows with a 4/5 matchup that will put one team into the NCAA Tournament and send one team home squarely on the bubble. With a very young roster, Michigan seemed to be in rebuild mode this season. But after beating running off a series of big conference wins, the Wolverines got themselves into the mix. While the buzzer-beater by Wisconsin's Josh Gasser seemed at the time a dagger to the heart of the Wolverines, subsequent wins at Minnesota and against Michigan State seem to have put Michigan in a position for their 2nd tournament appearance in 3 years.
Illinois didnt expect to be on the bubble. Led by a talented group of underachieving seniors, Illini nation thought that this would be the year Demetri McCamey and crew would finally break through and cement themselves among the nation's elite. After solid non-conference wins against Gonzaga and UNC, the Illini carried those expectations into Big Ten play, only to see them come crashing down with losses at Penn State, Northwestern, and Indiana. After losing in East Lansing, their position on the bubble was pretty well-established.
The night session will feature Purdue against (in all likelihood) a desperate Spartan team. Though Purdue has been one of the most consistent teams in the nation, their weekend loss to Iowa highlighted a vulnerability that MSU will be anxious to take advantage of. When Tom Izzo's crew really needs to get a win, they USUALLY do.
The first full day comes to a close with #13 Wisconsin trying to put to bed worries about their ability to win in the postseason. After a nearly identical record during the regular season, the Badgers will be motivated not only by a desire to make amends for last year's first-round exit at the hands of Illinois, but also for the 28-point drubbing they underwent on Sunday in Columbus. The Badgers have beaten every team in the conference and they are intent on getting themselves in position for rematches with Purdue and Ohio State.
Whatever side you are on in the "Best Conference" debate, the Big Ten Tournament is the most competitive from top to bottom of the weekend.
Thursday Preview
Today the madness truly begins. Tuesday saw the start of the Big East Tournament in New York and Wednesday added to the mix the Pac-10 and Big-12, but Thursday is when the real action gets going. Along with the start of the Big Ten, SEC and ACC Tournaments, the other power conferences now add in teams that earned byes, giving us a chance to start seeing meaningful games, many of which will ultimately be played with an NCAA Tournament bid on the line.
Before we get to the Big Ten Tournament action (I will address that in a later post), here's a quick preview of some of the other games to watch today around the country:
Big 12
Oklahoma State vs. #2 Kansas (11:30am CT):
The classic quarterfinal 1/8 matchup, this game features a bubble team on the outside looking in and a Kansas team that in all likelihood needs just 1 more victory to cement themselves among the #1 seeds for next weekend. Though the talent edge obviously resides with the Jayhawks, OSU will no doubt play with a reckless abandon we have become used to seeing out of teams that need that final upset victory to push their way into the field of 68.
Colorado vs. #23 Kansas State (2:00 CT):
Just a few weeks ago, it looked like it would be the Wildcats who would have more at stake in this matchup. But in the span of 6 games since CU knocked them off for a 2nd time this season, KSU has rattled off a perfect stretch that included 3 wins over ranked foes, 2 of those coming against top-10 teams. With Kansas State now firmly inside the bubble, its Colorado that has fate at stake here. Perhaps the more jekyll and hyde team in the nation, the Buffs are the prototypical bubble team. Coming into Thursday at 20-12 and 8-8 in the tough Big 12, record alone would seem to put them in the field. But while they have posted signature wins against Texas, Missouri, and Kansas State (twice), each of those wins is opposed by an equally disappointing loss. With defeats coming at the hands of Oklahoma, San Francisco, Iowa State, and Nebraska weighing down their tourney hopes, it seems that without a final victory today, the Buffs may be just one Texas A&M prayer short of their first NCAA appearance since 2003.
Oklahoma vs. #10 Texas (6:00pm CT):
While Oklahoma's defeat of a disappointing (and Perry Jones-less) Baylor squad was certainly surprising for Jeff Capel's sub-500 squad doesnt seem to have a prayer against a Longhorn team that has one of the most talented rosters in the nation. Don't expect this one to be close (and apparent ESPN agrees, relegating this one to ESPN3). But hey, anything can happen in the month of March.
Missouri vs. #21 Texas A&M (8:30pm CT):
Both of these teams have spent all season teetering along the line between elite teams and bubble worthiness. Both have spent time in the top 15 and yet neither has been able to stay there very long. Missouri's 88-84 victory over Texas Tech yesterday should get them into the NCAA field, but their seeding is very much up in the air. Despite a 23-9 record, the Tigers' best win came against regional rival Illinois back in December and an 8-8 conference record is anything but stellar when considering it includes losses to Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State. Texas A&M, while a rankings darling for much of the season, doesnt stand out much either. Missouri was their best win and 2 losses to Baylor combined with another to Nebraska wont help the resume a bit. But the last game between these two wound up in overtime and I wouldnt be surprised if today turned out the same.
ACC
The ACC is just starting its first-round (play-in) games, so in the interest of time, I will just give you a rundown:
Miami vs. Virginia (11:00am CT)
Wake Forest vs. Boston College (1:30pm CT)
NC State vs. Maryland (6:00pm CT)
Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech (8:30pm CT)
Virginia Tech, Boston College, and perhaps Maryland have a chance to get into the field. Maryland needs more than just a win today and while today might be enough to get Va Tech in, BC needs another victory tomorrow (against Clemson) in what will be the classic "bubble game" in all likelihood.
Big East
#19 UCONN vs. #3 Pitt (11:30am CT):
Maybe the best daytime matchup, this classic Big East battle pits a UConn team that has already played twice against a fresh Pitt squad looking to cement a #1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. After having little expectation coming into the season, the Kemba Walker-led Huskies shocked the country in non-conference play by winning their first 10 games, climbing as high as 4th in the polls before a loss to Pitt began a disappointing conference slate that resulted in them having to play in Tuesday's first round. Still, the Huskies have done enough to put themselves squarely into the tourney field and despite all of the controversy surrounding the program, they remain dangerous not only through this weekend, but into the tourney itself. Pitt, on the other hand, has dominated the Big East this season, separating themselves from the pack quite a bit over the past few weeks. While #4 Notre Dame knocked the Panthers off at home to break their conference perfection, they have never been outside of the top spot in the conference and now seem to be in a fight with the Irish not just for the conference tournament title, but perhaps more importantly for a top seed in the NCAA tournament come selection Sunday.
#18 St. Johns vs. #11 Syracuse (1:00pm CT):
After receiving a fairly generous series of no-calls at the end of their 2nd round game against Rutgers, the Johnnies now look to continue their "magical" run at Madison Square Garden (I will never call it 'the garden' or 'MSG') against a Syracuse team who thus far has been the only team to knock off Steve Lavin's crew on their home floor (St. Bonaventure and Cincinnati beat St. Johns on campus in Queens). After going through a 4-game losing streak earlier in the season, the Orange have steadily climbed up the rankings and earned a double-bye in the conference tournament. For a team that won 18 straight out of the box, its hard to argue that they arent capable of rattling off a few more.
Cincinnati vs. #4 Notre Dame (6:00pm CT):
For all of the talk about the 'surprising' runs of UCONN and St. Johns, Notre Dame is without a doubt the biggest surprise in college basketball. Unranked to start the season, the Irish picked up a holiday tournament title by taking advantage of a Badger collapse in Orlando, only to follow up that title with a conference season that included "upsets" of then-#9 Georgetown, #3 Pitt, and two wins against UCONN. With senior Ben Hansborough following in his brother's footsteps into the Wooden Award conversation, the Irish are poised to continue surprising the college basketball nation into the postseason. Cincinnati on the other hand has continued to fly under the radar. While their non-conference schedule was fairly weak, they ran through it unblemished and proceeded to go 11-7 in Big East play, knocking off ranked teams in Louisville and Georgetown (twice). Though probably not 100% in the field yet, the Bearcats would like to pull off one more upset to remove all doubt.
Marquette vs. #14 Louisville (8:30pm CT):
Though the Cardinals still managed to earn a double bye, their season-ending loss to West Virginia went beyond the threshold of disappointment. Still looking for a top seed in the NCAA field, Louisville has to prove to the committee that they have been able to put that loss behind them. Still, one has to believe that a 12-6 Big East record and wins over the likes of Pitt, Syracuse, and UCONN will speak for themselves more so than an early season defeat at the hands of Drexel. Marquette is still on the bubble. Yes, last night's comeback win over West Virginia should be enough to get Buzz Williams' squad into the field of 68, but with the possibility of 11 teams earning spots in the tourney out of the Big East, there is a good chance the committee will look at those final few with an added bit of scrutiny. One more quality win tonight and the Golden Eagles can put those doubts to bed.
Pac-10
California vs. USC (2:00pm CT):
Without anyone noticing, Kevin O'Neill has resurrected the USC program from the calamities of OJ Mayo and Tim Floyd, getting the Trojans on the backdoor bubble in their first year of postseason eligible since the self-imposed and NCAA sanctions. An 18-13 record (10-8 in the Pac-10) is far from impressive, but with wins coming over the likes of Texas, Tennessee, UCLA, and Arizona, not to mention a very-near win at Kansas, the resume is worth a look. Still, the Trojans are going to need multiple victories this weekend, likely needing a berth in the tournament finals (after a win against Arizona) in order to get into the field. Even then, USC might be the perfect candidate for Dayton. California is quite honestly a disaster right now. Not only is the state (and thus, the school) virtually in bankruptcy, but now the basketball program is facing probation after well-respected head coach Mike Montgomery admitted making over 300 impermissible phone calls to recruits. While the Bears have quality wins against Temple and UCLA, near-misses against Arizona (3OT), UCLA, and USC give them no chance at an at-large with a 17-13 record. Still, they have the talent to give anyone a run for their money and could be in position to reek havoc this weekend at Staples Center.
Oregon State vs. #15 Arizona (4:30pm CT):
Arizona struggled the last time they played in Los Angeles and while Thursday looks like a gimmie on paper, I would be worried if I were a Wildcat fan. Though U of A should be in the NCAA field, a loss to OSU, a team that already beat Arizona earlier this season, would do significant damage to their seeding. Without much in the way of a signature non-conference win to rely on, the Wildcats have a lot at stake in terms of seeding this weekend. OSU, coming off a nice victory against Stanford Wednesday night, is young and underperforming expectation. After Craig Robinson (yes, Michele Obama's brother) led the Beavers to a CBI Championship two years ago, the program has struggled to move forward, failing to hit the 500 mark in either of the past two seasons. With Robinson's job now on the line, expect OSU to come out firing.
Oregon vs. UCLA (8:00pm CT):
There is a good argument out there that UCLA is the most under-appreciated team in the nation. They finished 2nd in the Pac-10 with a 13-5 record, recorded non-conference wins over BYU and St. Johns, and nearly topped Kansas in Lawrence. For a program accustomed to battling for a #1 seed, the return from last season's sub-500 disaster has been slower than expected but by no means disappointing. UCLA has the talent to win the conference tournament and can no doubt make a run at the 2nd weekend come NCAA Tournament time. With most of the focus on the Oregon program surrounding the coaching and court changes, the growth process at this athletic power has been largely ignored. Still, new head coach Dana Altman has the Ducks improving, managing to finish with a 14-16 regular season record that included wins over Washington and at USC. Though the Ducks will miss their 3rd straight NCAA tournament, the future is bright in Eugene
Washington vs. Washington State (10:30pm CT):
Both of these teams are a puzzle. Washington State, led by Klay Thompson's 21.4 PPG, should have been a tournament team this season. While they have wins over Baylor and Gonzaga, and two over Washington, losses to Oregon, Stanford, and ASU might be too much to overcome in a fairly weak Pac-10. Washington seemed in solidly as recently as late February. While the heartbreaking loss in Tucson eliminated any hope of a conference title, the Huskies proceeded to put themselves on the bubble by adding a 2nd loss to their in-state rivals. Usually 20-10, 11-7 in the Pac-10 is enough for a fairly high seed in the NCAA Tournament, let alone a spot. But with the conference as weak as it is this year, that is not guaranteed. But as with many teams playing today, Washington can put themselves in with one more victory.
Before we get to the Big Ten Tournament action (I will address that in a later post), here's a quick preview of some of the other games to watch today around the country:
Big 12
Oklahoma State vs. #2 Kansas (11:30am CT):
The classic quarterfinal 1/8 matchup, this game features a bubble team on the outside looking in and a Kansas team that in all likelihood needs just 1 more victory to cement themselves among the #1 seeds for next weekend. Though the talent edge obviously resides with the Jayhawks, OSU will no doubt play with a reckless abandon we have become used to seeing out of teams that need that final upset victory to push their way into the field of 68.
Colorado vs. #23 Kansas State (2:00 CT):
Just a few weeks ago, it looked like it would be the Wildcats who would have more at stake in this matchup. But in the span of 6 games since CU knocked them off for a 2nd time this season, KSU has rattled off a perfect stretch that included 3 wins over ranked foes, 2 of those coming against top-10 teams. With Kansas State now firmly inside the bubble, its Colorado that has fate at stake here. Perhaps the more jekyll and hyde team in the nation, the Buffs are the prototypical bubble team. Coming into Thursday at 20-12 and 8-8 in the tough Big 12, record alone would seem to put them in the field. But while they have posted signature wins against Texas, Missouri, and Kansas State (twice), each of those wins is opposed by an equally disappointing loss. With defeats coming at the hands of Oklahoma, San Francisco, Iowa State, and Nebraska weighing down their tourney hopes, it seems that without a final victory today, the Buffs may be just one Texas A&M prayer short of their first NCAA appearance since 2003.
Oklahoma vs. #10 Texas (6:00pm CT):
While Oklahoma's defeat of a disappointing (and Perry Jones-less) Baylor squad was certainly surprising for Jeff Capel's sub-500 squad doesnt seem to have a prayer against a Longhorn team that has one of the most talented rosters in the nation. Don't expect this one to be close (and apparent ESPN agrees, relegating this one to ESPN3). But hey, anything can happen in the month of March.
Missouri vs. #21 Texas A&M (8:30pm CT):
Both of these teams have spent all season teetering along the line between elite teams and bubble worthiness. Both have spent time in the top 15 and yet neither has been able to stay there very long. Missouri's 88-84 victory over Texas Tech yesterday should get them into the NCAA field, but their seeding is very much up in the air. Despite a 23-9 record, the Tigers' best win came against regional rival Illinois back in December and an 8-8 conference record is anything but stellar when considering it includes losses to Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State. Texas A&M, while a rankings darling for much of the season, doesnt stand out much either. Missouri was their best win and 2 losses to Baylor combined with another to Nebraska wont help the resume a bit. But the last game between these two wound up in overtime and I wouldnt be surprised if today turned out the same.
ACC
The ACC is just starting its first-round (play-in) games, so in the interest of time, I will just give you a rundown:
Miami vs. Virginia (11:00am CT)
Wake Forest vs. Boston College (1:30pm CT)
NC State vs. Maryland (6:00pm CT)
Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech (8:30pm CT)
Virginia Tech, Boston College, and perhaps Maryland have a chance to get into the field. Maryland needs more than just a win today and while today might be enough to get Va Tech in, BC needs another victory tomorrow (against Clemson) in what will be the classic "bubble game" in all likelihood.
Big East
#19 UCONN vs. #3 Pitt (11:30am CT):
Maybe the best daytime matchup, this classic Big East battle pits a UConn team that has already played twice against a fresh Pitt squad looking to cement a #1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. After having little expectation coming into the season, the Kemba Walker-led Huskies shocked the country in non-conference play by winning their first 10 games, climbing as high as 4th in the polls before a loss to Pitt began a disappointing conference slate that resulted in them having to play in Tuesday's first round. Still, the Huskies have done enough to put themselves squarely into the tourney field and despite all of the controversy surrounding the program, they remain dangerous not only through this weekend, but into the tourney itself. Pitt, on the other hand, has dominated the Big East this season, separating themselves from the pack quite a bit over the past few weeks. While #4 Notre Dame knocked the Panthers off at home to break their conference perfection, they have never been outside of the top spot in the conference and now seem to be in a fight with the Irish not just for the conference tournament title, but perhaps more importantly for a top seed in the NCAA tournament come selection Sunday.
#18 St. Johns vs. #11 Syracuse (1:00pm CT):
After receiving a fairly generous series of no-calls at the end of their 2nd round game against Rutgers, the Johnnies now look to continue their "magical" run at Madison Square Garden (I will never call it 'the garden' or 'MSG') against a Syracuse team who thus far has been the only team to knock off Steve Lavin's crew on their home floor (St. Bonaventure and Cincinnati beat St. Johns on campus in Queens). After going through a 4-game losing streak earlier in the season, the Orange have steadily climbed up the rankings and earned a double-bye in the conference tournament. For a team that won 18 straight out of the box, its hard to argue that they arent capable of rattling off a few more.
Cincinnati vs. #4 Notre Dame (6:00pm CT):
For all of the talk about the 'surprising' runs of UCONN and St. Johns, Notre Dame is without a doubt the biggest surprise in college basketball. Unranked to start the season, the Irish picked up a holiday tournament title by taking advantage of a Badger collapse in Orlando, only to follow up that title with a conference season that included "upsets" of then-#9 Georgetown, #3 Pitt, and two wins against UCONN. With senior Ben Hansborough following in his brother's footsteps into the Wooden Award conversation, the Irish are poised to continue surprising the college basketball nation into the postseason. Cincinnati on the other hand has continued to fly under the radar. While their non-conference schedule was fairly weak, they ran through it unblemished and proceeded to go 11-7 in Big East play, knocking off ranked teams in Louisville and Georgetown (twice). Though probably not 100% in the field yet, the Bearcats would like to pull off one more upset to remove all doubt.
Marquette vs. #14 Louisville (8:30pm CT):
Though the Cardinals still managed to earn a double bye, their season-ending loss to West Virginia went beyond the threshold of disappointment. Still looking for a top seed in the NCAA field, Louisville has to prove to the committee that they have been able to put that loss behind them. Still, one has to believe that a 12-6 Big East record and wins over the likes of Pitt, Syracuse, and UCONN will speak for themselves more so than an early season defeat at the hands of Drexel. Marquette is still on the bubble. Yes, last night's comeback win over West Virginia should be enough to get Buzz Williams' squad into the field of 68, but with the possibility of 11 teams earning spots in the tourney out of the Big East, there is a good chance the committee will look at those final few with an added bit of scrutiny. One more quality win tonight and the Golden Eagles can put those doubts to bed.
Pac-10
California vs. USC (2:00pm CT):
Without anyone noticing, Kevin O'Neill has resurrected the USC program from the calamities of OJ Mayo and Tim Floyd, getting the Trojans on the backdoor bubble in their first year of postseason eligible since the self-imposed and NCAA sanctions. An 18-13 record (10-8 in the Pac-10) is far from impressive, but with wins coming over the likes of Texas, Tennessee, UCLA, and Arizona, not to mention a very-near win at Kansas, the resume is worth a look. Still, the Trojans are going to need multiple victories this weekend, likely needing a berth in the tournament finals (after a win against Arizona) in order to get into the field. Even then, USC might be the perfect candidate for Dayton. California is quite honestly a disaster right now. Not only is the state (and thus, the school) virtually in bankruptcy, but now the basketball program is facing probation after well-respected head coach Mike Montgomery admitted making over 300 impermissible phone calls to recruits. While the Bears have quality wins against Temple and UCLA, near-misses against Arizona (3OT), UCLA, and USC give them no chance at an at-large with a 17-13 record. Still, they have the talent to give anyone a run for their money and could be in position to reek havoc this weekend at Staples Center.
Oregon State vs. #15 Arizona (4:30pm CT):
Arizona struggled the last time they played in Los Angeles and while Thursday looks like a gimmie on paper, I would be worried if I were a Wildcat fan. Though U of A should be in the NCAA field, a loss to OSU, a team that already beat Arizona earlier this season, would do significant damage to their seeding. Without much in the way of a signature non-conference win to rely on, the Wildcats have a lot at stake in terms of seeding this weekend. OSU, coming off a nice victory against Stanford Wednesday night, is young and underperforming expectation. After Craig Robinson (yes, Michele Obama's brother) led the Beavers to a CBI Championship two years ago, the program has struggled to move forward, failing to hit the 500 mark in either of the past two seasons. With Robinson's job now on the line, expect OSU to come out firing.
Oregon vs. UCLA (8:00pm CT):
There is a good argument out there that UCLA is the most under-appreciated team in the nation. They finished 2nd in the Pac-10 with a 13-5 record, recorded non-conference wins over BYU and St. Johns, and nearly topped Kansas in Lawrence. For a program accustomed to battling for a #1 seed, the return from last season's sub-500 disaster has been slower than expected but by no means disappointing. UCLA has the talent to win the conference tournament and can no doubt make a run at the 2nd weekend come NCAA Tournament time. With most of the focus on the Oregon program surrounding the coaching and court changes, the growth process at this athletic power has been largely ignored. Still, new head coach Dana Altman has the Ducks improving, managing to finish with a 14-16 regular season record that included wins over Washington and at USC. Though the Ducks will miss their 3rd straight NCAA tournament, the future is bright in Eugene
Washington vs. Washington State (10:30pm CT):
Both of these teams are a puzzle. Washington State, led by Klay Thompson's 21.4 PPG, should have been a tournament team this season. While they have wins over Baylor and Gonzaga, and two over Washington, losses to Oregon, Stanford, and ASU might be too much to overcome in a fairly weak Pac-10. Washington seemed in solidly as recently as late February. While the heartbreaking loss in Tucson eliminated any hope of a conference title, the Huskies proceeded to put themselves on the bubble by adding a 2nd loss to their in-state rivals. Usually 20-10, 11-7 in the Pac-10 is enough for a fairly high seed in the NCAA Tournament, let alone a spot. But with the conference as weak as it is this year, that is not guaranteed. But as with many teams playing today, Washington can put themselves in with one more victory.
Let the Madness Begin
The 2010-'11 men's basketball campaign has thus far stuck to the Bo Ryan script. Ryan took a team picked to finish in the middle of the Big Ten standings and wound up continuing his streak of now 10 seasons of top-four finishes top four in the conference.
Heading into the conference tournament in Indianapolis this weekend, the expectations are high for a Wisconsin team that carries the third seed in the tournament.
Despite coming into the postseason winning eight of the last 10, the Badgers know that regular season success does not guarantee a tournament run. Take one look at the way the 2009-'10 campaign finished (second round loss to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament and second round loss to Cornell in the NCAA Tournament) and that fact should be fairly well established.
"Last year was a different year, a different team," freshman guard Josh Gasser said. "This is what we've worked toward, to win a Big Ten title and go to the Final Four."
Still, for every point of criticism that could be made against Ryan's program and its lack of a Final Four run, it is hard to argue with two conference tournament titles, four Big Ten championship game appearances and 12 NCAA Tournament victories, three more than the Wisconsin program had in the 96 years prior to hiring Ryan.
First team All-Big Ten selections Jordan Taylor and Jon Leuer have combined for 37.1 points per game this season, second most in the Big Ten and sixth in the nation. Add in the fact that Taylor is currently on pace for an NCAA record with his 4.26 assist to turnover ratio, and it seems that the talent is certainly there for a postseason run.
As much as the blowout loss to Ohio State on Sunday brings back thoughts of the Cornell loss, it is difficult to compare last year's team with a Badger squad this season who is on pace to set NCAA records for free throw percentage (82.7 percent), turnovers per game (7.47) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.79), all while carrying the nation's second most efficient offense (1.19 points per possession) and ninth best scoring defense (59.1 points per game).
Simply put, the Wisconsin system is built for tournament play.
"It's what our system is predicated off of. Taking care of the ball and not giving the other team easy opportunities, easy run-outs and defensively just being sound," Leuer said. "Obviously you have to hit shots but if you play good defense and rebound, you're going to have a chance to win any game."
With a favorable matchup set for Friday (Wisconsin will face the winner of Thursday's Penn State-Indiana game), the stars are starting to align for what the Badgers hope is a long run into the postseason.
"We are going down there to win the thing," Leuer said. "We wanted to win the Big Ten regular season and obviously we didn't get a chance to do that but now we have a new opportunity in front of us."
Heading into the conference tournament in Indianapolis this weekend, the expectations are high for a Wisconsin team that carries the third seed in the tournament.
Despite coming into the postseason winning eight of the last 10, the Badgers know that regular season success does not guarantee a tournament run. Take one look at the way the 2009-'10 campaign finished (second round loss to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament and second round loss to Cornell in the NCAA Tournament) and that fact should be fairly well established.
"Last year was a different year, a different team," freshman guard Josh Gasser said. "This is what we've worked toward, to win a Big Ten title and go to the Final Four."
Still, for every point of criticism that could be made against Ryan's program and its lack of a Final Four run, it is hard to argue with two conference tournament titles, four Big Ten championship game appearances and 12 NCAA Tournament victories, three more than the Wisconsin program had in the 96 years prior to hiring Ryan.
First team All-Big Ten selections Jordan Taylor and Jon Leuer have combined for 37.1 points per game this season, second most in the Big Ten and sixth in the nation. Add in the fact that Taylor is currently on pace for an NCAA record with his 4.26 assist to turnover ratio, and it seems that the talent is certainly there for a postseason run.
As much as the blowout loss to Ohio State on Sunday brings back thoughts of the Cornell loss, it is difficult to compare last year's team with a Badger squad this season who is on pace to set NCAA records for free throw percentage (82.7 percent), turnovers per game (7.47) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.79), all while carrying the nation's second most efficient offense (1.19 points per possession) and ninth best scoring defense (59.1 points per game).
Simply put, the Wisconsin system is built for tournament play.
"It's what our system is predicated off of. Taking care of the ball and not giving the other team easy opportunities, easy run-outs and defensively just being sound," Leuer said. "Obviously you have to hit shots but if you play good defense and rebound, you're going to have a chance to win any game."
With a favorable matchup set for Friday (Wisconsin will face the winner of Thursday's Penn State-Indiana game), the stars are starting to align for what the Badgers hope is a long run into the postseason.
"We are going down there to win the thing," Leuer said. "We wanted to win the Big Ten regular season and obviously we didn't get a chance to do that but now we have a new opportunity in front of us."
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Big Ten and NCAA Tournament Coverage
Look for live updates and full coverage from this weekend's Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis and then from the NCAA Tournament, starting March 17th.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Taylor, Leuer Earn First Team All-Big Ten Honors
UWBadgers.com-
MADISON, Wis. -- For the first time in school history, the University of Wisconsin had two players earn first-team All-Big honors as senior Jon Leuer and junior Jordan Taylor were recognized when the Big Ten announced its year-end awards Monday.
Taylor was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the media (unanimous) and the coaches, while Leuer earned first-team All-Big Ten accolades from the coaches and second-team honors from the media. Fellow senior Keaton Nankivil received honorable mention from both the coaches and media.
“I’m honored to be selected, but I feel that individual awards are a reflection of team success,” Taylor said Monday. “None of us would be recognized if it weren’t for the guys around us and the coaches around us that put us in a position to be successful. It’s a special thing after all the hard work we put in during the offseason and it’s nice to know that it pays off. Coach Ryan always says that if you work hard, the basketball Gods will pay you back.”
“It’s a huge honor to be placed on the same list as the other first-team honorees,” Leuer said. “I think all of the other players on the list represent the Big Ten in the right way. To have your body of work compared on the same level as other great players is really meaningful and I’m honored. You can’t earn these type of honors without your teammates and they definitely deserve just as much recognition and Jordan, Keaton and I.”
UW has now had nine first-team all-conference players in Bo Ryan’s 10 seasons as head coach. Leuer and Taylor are Wisconsin’s first selections to the first team since Brian Butch was a consensus selection in 2008. They are also the first duo to be placed on the same first-team All-Big Ten list in the same season. Michael Finley (coaches) and Rashard Griffith (media) both earned first-team honors on separate lists in 1995.
“In order for us to have the kind of year that we’ve had and some of the success we’ve enjoyed, Jon and Jordan were obviously instrumental in that,” Bo Ryan said. “I’m very proud of them and think that their recognition is richly deserved.”
In addition to first-team All-Big Ten, Taylor was also named to the Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team as selected by the coaches.
“Placing Jordan on the All-Defensive Team shows that people recognize his impact,” Ryan explained. “They notice how hard he plays, that he’s a scrappy player who is all over the place, taking charges, diving for loose balls. This recognizes his commitment to playing defense and working hard.”
“I’m humbled and honored to put in the category of those other great defensive players,” Taylor added. “It’s special to be in a class with guys like JaJuan Johnson, Aaron Craft, David Lighty and Delvon Roe.”
During conference play, Taylor ranked third in the Big Ten averaging 20.1 points per game, while dishing out 4.89 assists per game and tallying a league-high 4.63 assist-to-turnover ratio. Taylor is the only player in the conference to rank in the top five of both scoring and assists.
“Jordan’s recognition shows how hard he has worked,” Leuer said. “I’ve seen first-hand from working with him during the offseason that he’s worked extremely hard to fine-tune his game and he’s polished himself into the best point guard in the country.”
A preseason All-Big Ten selection, Leuer leads the team averaging 18.9 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game, numbers that rank third and fifth in the conference, respectively. Leuer has scored in double figures in every game this season, including 13 games with 20 or more points.
“I thought Jon should have been Player of the Year in the Big Ten, but you can only control what you do on the court,” Taylor said. “Being picked first-team recognizes all the work he’s put in on the court from his freshman year until now. It’s really satisfying for me to watch him progress and have his hard work pay off.”
Nankivil scored in double figures in 14 of the 18 Big Ten games, averaging 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. For the season, Nankivil has connected on 46.6 percent of his 3-point attempts, which ranks third in the Big Ten, making an average of 2.4 per game during conference play. Nankivil was also named UW’s Sportsmanship Award honoree, which is given to an individual who has distinguished himself through sportsmanship and ethical behavior.
“I’ve seen Keaton develop since his freshman year and he’s come a long way,” Leuer said. “In my opinion he should have been third or even second-team All-Big Ten, but just to be recognized is an honor and he’s proved himself. With his shot and all-around game, he’s one of the most skilled big men in country.”
“Keaton has come a long way and he’s done some special things here,” Taylor added. “It’s good to see him getting recognized for his accomplishments.”
“I think that shows how far Keaton has come,” Ryan added. “It’s nice that people have recognized his contributions and how significant they are. He deserves it.”
MADISON, Wis. -- For the first time in school history, the University of Wisconsin had two players earn first-team All-Big honors as senior Jon Leuer and junior Jordan Taylor were recognized when the Big Ten announced its year-end awards Monday.
Taylor was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the media (unanimous) and the coaches, while Leuer earned first-team All-Big Ten accolades from the coaches and second-team honors from the media. Fellow senior Keaton Nankivil received honorable mention from both the coaches and media.
“I’m honored to be selected, but I feel that individual awards are a reflection of team success,” Taylor said Monday. “None of us would be recognized if it weren’t for the guys around us and the coaches around us that put us in a position to be successful. It’s a special thing after all the hard work we put in during the offseason and it’s nice to know that it pays off. Coach Ryan always says that if you work hard, the basketball Gods will pay you back.”
“It’s a huge honor to be placed on the same list as the other first-team honorees,” Leuer said. “I think all of the other players on the list represent the Big Ten in the right way. To have your body of work compared on the same level as other great players is really meaningful and I’m honored. You can’t earn these type of honors without your teammates and they definitely deserve just as much recognition and Jordan, Keaton and I.”
UW has now had nine first-team all-conference players in Bo Ryan’s 10 seasons as head coach. Leuer and Taylor are Wisconsin’s first selections to the first team since Brian Butch was a consensus selection in 2008. They are also the first duo to be placed on the same first-team All-Big Ten list in the same season. Michael Finley (coaches) and Rashard Griffith (media) both earned first-team honors on separate lists in 1995.
“In order for us to have the kind of year that we’ve had and some of the success we’ve enjoyed, Jon and Jordan were obviously instrumental in that,” Bo Ryan said. “I’m very proud of them and think that their recognition is richly deserved.”
In addition to first-team All-Big Ten, Taylor was also named to the Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team as selected by the coaches.
“Placing Jordan on the All-Defensive Team shows that people recognize his impact,” Ryan explained. “They notice how hard he plays, that he’s a scrappy player who is all over the place, taking charges, diving for loose balls. This recognizes his commitment to playing defense and working hard.”
“I’m humbled and honored to put in the category of those other great defensive players,” Taylor added. “It’s special to be in a class with guys like JaJuan Johnson, Aaron Craft, David Lighty and Delvon Roe.”
During conference play, Taylor ranked third in the Big Ten averaging 20.1 points per game, while dishing out 4.89 assists per game and tallying a league-high 4.63 assist-to-turnover ratio. Taylor is the only player in the conference to rank in the top five of both scoring and assists.
“Jordan’s recognition shows how hard he has worked,” Leuer said. “I’ve seen first-hand from working with him during the offseason that he’s worked extremely hard to fine-tune his game and he’s polished himself into the best point guard in the country.”
A preseason All-Big Ten selection, Leuer leads the team averaging 18.9 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game, numbers that rank third and fifth in the conference, respectively. Leuer has scored in double figures in every game this season, including 13 games with 20 or more points.
“I thought Jon should have been Player of the Year in the Big Ten, but you can only control what you do on the court,” Taylor said. “Being picked first-team recognizes all the work he’s put in on the court from his freshman year until now. It’s really satisfying for me to watch him progress and have his hard work pay off.”
Nankivil scored in double figures in 14 of the 18 Big Ten games, averaging 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. For the season, Nankivil has connected on 46.6 percent of his 3-point attempts, which ranks third in the Big Ten, making an average of 2.4 per game during conference play. Nankivil was also named UW’s Sportsmanship Award honoree, which is given to an individual who has distinguished himself through sportsmanship and ethical behavior.
“I’ve seen Keaton develop since his freshman year and he’s come a long way,” Leuer said. “In my opinion he should have been third or even second-team All-Big Ten, but just to be recognized is an honor and he’s proved himself. With his shot and all-around game, he’s one of the most skilled big men in country.”
“Keaton has come a long way and he’s done some special things here,” Taylor added. “It’s good to see him getting recognized for his accomplishments.”
“I think that shows how far Keaton has come,” Ryan added. “It’s nice that people have recognized his contributions and how significant they are. He deserves it.”
Buckeyes Fire Back at Badgers
Intent on capping off its senior day with a victory, No. 1 Ohio State (15-2 Big Ten, 28-2 overall) came out firing and shot nearly 70 percent from the field on the way to a 93-65 defeat of Wisconsin.
Seemingly on autopilot for the entire 40 minutes, Buckeye shooters made 14 of 15 from behind the arc. For a Wisconsin team that hadn't given up more than 70 points in a game all season, this one was quite a shock to the system.
"I don't think people do that very often," UW head coach Bo Ryan said of the Buckeyes' shooting display. "I thought we shot the ball well against them at our place, but what they did today is just unheard of."
It was senior guard Jon Diebler whose performance really spelled trouble for UW. After being held to just nine points on 2-of-5 shooting in the first matchup, the Big Ten's all-time leading three-point shooter rode the momentum of a 30-point, 10-three-pointer performance against Penn State earlier in the week. Diebler added seven more triples on Sunday, finishing the afternoon with 27 points, six rebounds and four assists.
"My teammates did a great job of getting me the ball today," Diebler said. "I was just fortunate to be able to knock some shots down again."
While the robotic shooting of Ohio State exasperated an already poor defensive effort by UW, there were a few encouraging signs in what was an otherwise forgettable outing. With the Buckeyes intent on keeping junior guard Jordan Taylor from beating them as he did in Madison, Josh Gasser was forced to step up on the offensive end and delivered when asked en route to a team-high 17 points.
Though the final margin was not entirely characteristic of the UW effort, the Badgers did play some very uncharacteristic basketball. With OSU's shooting handing UW a big deficit early on, the Badgers started to force things and the hectic pace leading to six turnovers, many of them unforced.
UW briefly made things interesting, cutting the lead down to 11 and about to take possession with just under 13 minutes left.
But, just as quickly as the thoughts of a repeat run crept into Badger fans minds, Gasser lost his handle of the rebound and the ball squirted out of bounds back to the Buckeyes.
Diebler responded with a three, and the door was quickly closed.
After exiting the court to a chant of "deal with it," the Badgers may now be armed with the same desire for revenge that fueled a Buckeye team whose goal, according to freshman forard Jared Sullinger, was to, "win by 50."
While you never want to close out the regular season with a 28-point loss, the third place Badgers are in a good position heading into the postseason.
The Badgers open the Big Ten Tournament Friday night against the winner of Thursday's Penn State-Iowa game.
Seemingly on autopilot for the entire 40 minutes, Buckeye shooters made 14 of 15 from behind the arc. For a Wisconsin team that hadn't given up more than 70 points in a game all season, this one was quite a shock to the system.
"I don't think people do that very often," UW head coach Bo Ryan said of the Buckeyes' shooting display. "I thought we shot the ball well against them at our place, but what they did today is just unheard of."
It was senior guard Jon Diebler whose performance really spelled trouble for UW. After being held to just nine points on 2-of-5 shooting in the first matchup, the Big Ten's all-time leading three-point shooter rode the momentum of a 30-point, 10-three-pointer performance against Penn State earlier in the week. Diebler added seven more triples on Sunday, finishing the afternoon with 27 points, six rebounds and four assists.
"My teammates did a great job of getting me the ball today," Diebler said. "I was just fortunate to be able to knock some shots down again."
While the robotic shooting of Ohio State exasperated an already poor defensive effort by UW, there were a few encouraging signs in what was an otherwise forgettable outing. With the Buckeyes intent on keeping junior guard Jordan Taylor from beating them as he did in Madison, Josh Gasser was forced to step up on the offensive end and delivered when asked en route to a team-high 17 points.
Though the final margin was not entirely characteristic of the UW effort, the Badgers did play some very uncharacteristic basketball. With OSU's shooting handing UW a big deficit early on, the Badgers started to force things and the hectic pace leading to six turnovers, many of them unforced.
UW briefly made things interesting, cutting the lead down to 11 and about to take possession with just under 13 minutes left.
But, just as quickly as the thoughts of a repeat run crept into Badger fans minds, Gasser lost his handle of the rebound and the ball squirted out of bounds back to the Buckeyes.
Diebler responded with a three, and the door was quickly closed.
After exiting the court to a chant of "deal with it," the Badgers may now be armed with the same desire for revenge that fueled a Buckeye team whose goal, according to freshman forard Jared Sullinger, was to, "win by 50."
While you never want to close out the regular season with a 28-point loss, the third place Badgers are in a good position heading into the postseason.
The Badgers open the Big Ten Tournament Friday night against the winner of Thursday's Penn State-Iowa game.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Rare Jordan: Taylor Leads Badgers Over IU
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—If anyone still had doubts about Jordan Taylor's ability to carry a team on his back, Thursday night's win in Bloomington should put those in the rearview mirror. With senior forward Jon Leuer in foul trouble, the junior guard scored 17 straight Wisconsin points en route to a career-high 39-point effort in a 77-67 win.
After Taylor and senior forward Keaton Nankivil combined for 26 first-half points, Taylor was forced to carry the load. Nankivil added seven quick points in the second half but a 12-5 Indiana (3-14 Big Ten, 12-18 overall) run got the Hoosiers within one after a Will Sheehey free throw. When the Indiana freshman missed the second free throw, the stage was set for Taylor.
Four triples, two free throws, and a traditional three-point play later, and Wisconsin (23-6, 13-4) suddenly had the game in hand, leading 63-50 with just over six minutes to go.
"Indiana played tough defensively all night," UW head coach Bo Ryan said after the game. "But stopping somebody that is hot is not that easy."
While Taylor joked after the game about a season-low 1.0 assist to turnover ratio, his performance on Thursday night got the attention of a basketball-savvy Assembly Hall crowd, many of whom could be heard praising the point guard after the game.
"Sometimes the basket just gets bigger," Taylor said. "Every basketball player has experienced it."
Though Indiana neutralized Jon Leuer, limiting him to just 10 points (with most of those coming in the closing seconds), the decision to switch screens ultimately proved costly for the young Hoosiers.
With 6'9" 250 pound forward Tom Pritchard left on the quick Taylor, the green light immediately went on.
"Coach, he preaches that all year round," Taylor said. "If they are going to switch a big on you, that's a mismatch."
While the Hoosiers left the door open for a run, Taylor still had to go through it. Even with the big out on the perimeter, Taylor had to make several contested jump shots, a number coming in typical late-shot clock fashion. Adding three traditional three-point plays to that, Taylor clearly took advantage.
"Anytime you hit a shot like that, it's probably a sign of better things to come."
With the Badgers road record, both overall and in conference, now evened up, next up is No. 1 Ohio State.
If they hope to spend Sunday spoiling another team's senior night, Wisconsin will have to neutralize Buckeye senior guard Jon Diebler. Though the Big Ten's all-time leading three-point scorer struggled in OSU's loss at the Kohl Center, he went off for 10 three-pointers in Ohio State's road win at Penn State back on Tuesday.
While UW was able to knock off the top-ranked Buckeyes in Madison back on Feb. 12, the Buckeyes will certainly be harder to beat in Columbus. Still, with nothing to lose and everything to gain—not to mention the opportunity to perhaps spoil the Buckeyes' run at sole possession of the Big Ten Title—expect Wisconsin to give OSU a run.
"I said earlier that its probably once in a career when you get to play No. 1," Taylor said. "I guess you have to be careful what you wish for."
After Taylor and senior forward Keaton Nankivil combined for 26 first-half points, Taylor was forced to carry the load. Nankivil added seven quick points in the second half but a 12-5 Indiana (3-14 Big Ten, 12-18 overall) run got the Hoosiers within one after a Will Sheehey free throw. When the Indiana freshman missed the second free throw, the stage was set for Taylor.
Four triples, two free throws, and a traditional three-point play later, and Wisconsin (23-6, 13-4) suddenly had the game in hand, leading 63-50 with just over six minutes to go.
"Indiana played tough defensively all night," UW head coach Bo Ryan said after the game. "But stopping somebody that is hot is not that easy."
While Taylor joked after the game about a season-low 1.0 assist to turnover ratio, his performance on Thursday night got the attention of a basketball-savvy Assembly Hall crowd, many of whom could be heard praising the point guard after the game.
"Sometimes the basket just gets bigger," Taylor said. "Every basketball player has experienced it."
Though Indiana neutralized Jon Leuer, limiting him to just 10 points (with most of those coming in the closing seconds), the decision to switch screens ultimately proved costly for the young Hoosiers.
With 6'9" 250 pound forward Tom Pritchard left on the quick Taylor, the green light immediately went on.
"Coach, he preaches that all year round," Taylor said. "If they are going to switch a big on you, that's a mismatch."
While the Hoosiers left the door open for a run, Taylor still had to go through it. Even with the big out on the perimeter, Taylor had to make several contested jump shots, a number coming in typical late-shot clock fashion. Adding three traditional three-point plays to that, Taylor clearly took advantage.
"Anytime you hit a shot like that, it's probably a sign of better things to come."
With the Badgers road record, both overall and in conference, now evened up, next up is No. 1 Ohio State.
If they hope to spend Sunday spoiling another team's senior night, Wisconsin will have to neutralize Buckeye senior guard Jon Diebler. Though the Big Ten's all-time leading three-point scorer struggled in OSU's loss at the Kohl Center, he went off for 10 three-pointers in Ohio State's road win at Penn State back on Tuesday.
While UW was able to knock off the top-ranked Buckeyes in Madison back on Feb. 12, the Buckeyes will certainly be harder to beat in Columbus. Still, with nothing to lose and everything to gain—not to mention the opportunity to perhaps spoil the Buckeyes' run at sole possession of the Big Ten Title—expect Wisconsin to give OSU a run.
"I said earlier that its probably once in a career when you get to play No. 1," Taylor said. "I guess you have to be careful what you wish for."
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