UNC 25, UW 24 Half

Despite their worst shooting performance of the year and several periods of shaky defense, the Badgers are right where they want to be at the half. UNC has had the lead much of the game but after a Harrison Barnes jump shot bumped that lead to 9, Wisconsin closed on a 14-6 run over the final 11:03 of the half to head into the break within 1. The Badgers havent been able to make anything despite getting many open looks. At halftime, UW is just 10/32 from the field, shooting just 20% from beyond the 3-point arc. On the other hand, UNC is shooting nearly 48% from the field, capitalizing on their length to get easy looks down low. But the Badger defense has kept them in this game. UW has already forced eight Carolina turnovers, capitalizing on those turnovers to the tune of eight points. Wisconsin is unsurprisingly led by senior guard Jordan Taylor with 9 points at the break, with Carolina's Dexter Strickland pacing the Tar Heels with seven. Strickland's 3rd foul, coming on a charging call, could no doubt be a big moment at this game hits the back stretch. For the Badgers, junior forward Mike Bruesewitz has not seen much time, picking up his 2nd foul just under 8 minutes into the game. Bruesewitz should be back on the floor for the start of the half and his contributions will be a have to be big factor if the Badgers want to turn this one around. Second half set to start and its definitely a ballgame.

Its Almost Here

Tip off is just about an hour and a half away in Chapel Hill. There is certainly a buzz around campus, but what is definitely apparent is that people here are accustomed to games like this. A matchup between two top-10 teams is a rarity for Badger fans, but Tar Heel nation expects its team to be in these type of games year in and year out. So even though the #5 and #7 teams in the country are about to square off, it really is just another game at the Dean Dome. One of the things to watch tonight is the health of UNC sophomore forward Harrison Barnes. The reigning ACC rookie of the year is leading the Tar Heels in scoring through the first six games but has been nursing an ankle injury sustained in UNC's 90-80 loss to UNLV on Saturday night. Barnes will play, but his ability to contribute against a tough defensive minded team like UW might be limited, especially when you consider UNC's preference for running the floor. For Wisconsin, it really will be a question of whether this team is for real. Having been challenged very little through six games, we really dont know what to think of this Badger team that hasnt played a game in which the final margin was less than 17. One thing we do know is that senior point guard Jordan Taylor will be ready. The preseason first-team All-America selection has been solid in the early going, preferring to captain the floor and dish the ball off rather than to take control of putting the ball in the basket. Many think that Taylor will need to change this if the Badgers want to shock the Heels, but that might not really be the case. Scoring obviously doesnt hurt, but Taylor's role tonight will be to once again captain the floor and keep the troops in the moment. Taylor has the most experience of anyone on the Badger roster and played a big part in the UW win over Duke just two years ago. Taylor's poise will be the key, much more so than his ability to put up points. Either way, all eyes will be on the Smith Center as the 9:30 tip nears. Should the Badgers somehow pull off an upset win, get ready for a whole lot more national attention placed on the Kohl Center this winter.

UW Rains on BYU and Takes Home Tourney Title

Badgers Rain On BYU Parade, Take Home Tourney Title Having won their first five games by an average of nearly 40 points, Saturday night’s Chicago Invitational Challenge final against BYU was the first real challenge the Badgers have faced thus far in the young season. Although the Badgers (6-0, 0-0) struggled at times against the Cougar zone, they eventually found their stroke from beyond the three-point arc, shooting their way to an 73-56 victory. “We had to learn a bit on the fly,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said after the game. “I thought our guys adjusted well…BYU is a heck of a team and I am sure they are going to do well in their league...I like the way our guys responded.” Sophomore guard Ben Brust took advantage of the shooting space made available by BYU’s matchup zone. The sharpshooting Mundelein, Illinois native overcame a slow start by nailing seven three-point shots to give him a team-high 21 points on the night. Brust led an 11-0 Badger run with three triples early on in the second half that took what had been a back-and-forth game and quickly put the Badgers in firm control. “His moxie when it comes to finding open angles is pretty good,” Ryan said. “And his teammates know it and they find him.” Still, forward Jared Berggren may have played an even bigger role in the UW victory. The redshirt junior finished the game with 13 points and 5 rebounds, but more importantly held BYU forward Brandon Davies in check. Though the highlight reels will be filled with UW’s three-point shooting, it was Wisconsin’s dominance inside that really proved to be the difference. Proving he can still do it all, senior guard Jordan Taylor had his best performance of the season, finishing with 18 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds. Between Taylor and Brust, the Badgers outscored BYU guards 39-6, playing a pivotal role in the outcome. Brust, Taylor, and Berggren rode their respective performances to spots on the all-tournament team, with Taylor picking up the trophy as the Tournament MVP. “They were a bit more extended then I thought they would be…” Taylor said. “But we got the win and that’s what is important.” Although the final score was lopsided, Saturday’s win was anything but easy. After the Badgers stormed out of the gates to a 22-10 lead, BYU (4-2, 0-0) came right back with an 18-4 run of their own. Brust’s first three eventually got UW into the locker room with a two-point lead, but after a few more minutes of back and forth play, that Brust-led run put the Badgers in control and sent the game quickly on its way to a lopsided conclusion. “Its fun to play with a guy like {Brust},” Taylor added. “But he’s not the only guy we’ve got who is like that.” Now having passed their first test with flying colors, the Badgers now must quickly prepare for arguably their most difficult matchup of the year. Wednesday night’s matchup against top-ranked North Carolina already had plenty of hype and with Wisconsin now destined for a top 10 position in the polls, that hype will only grow as tip off nears.

Badgers Take Down Bradley, Set for Showdown with BYU

Continuing to take care of their early season business, #11 Wisconsin (5-0, 0-0) got away with sloppy play at times en route to a 66-43 victory over Bradley Friday night in the semifinals of the Chicago Invitational Tournament. Junior forward Ryan Evans scored a career-high 15 points in the victory, joining guard Josh Gasser and Jordan Taylor for the team high. Evans also added 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Bradley (3-2) was paced by senior forward Taylor Brown, who led all scorers with 18 points on 8-of-20 shooting, picking up 9 rebounds as well. Still, UW did not take care of the ball as well as Badger fans have become accustomed to. Wisconsin turned the ball over 10 times, their first game with double digits in that category. Taylor had an uncharacteristically shaky night with the ball, turning the ball over four times to double his season total in already the fifth game of the young season. But UW still won the turnover battle, forcing the Braves into 17 turnovers of their own. The Badgers also showed an ability to hang with Bradley athletically, matching the Braves step for step on the fast break and notching 18 points off those turnovers. Next on tap for UW is BYU, a fellow Sweet 16 team from last season that returns most of its core, the exception being National Player of the Year Jimmer Fredette. But the Cougars are benefitting from the return of forward Brandon Davies, whose controversial suspension last season really hurt BYU's title hopes. The Cougars come into Saturday off of a 76-55 win over Nevada and are by far the biggest test the Badgers have faced thus far. Saturday also marks the beginning of a five game stretch in which the Badgers will face four teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last season, with the BYU game followed by a date with #1 North Carolina, followed up finally with home games against Marquette and UNLV. Certainly the big wins have given Badger fans something to be excited about, but until UW gets through this stretch, its hard to tell what the season truly has in store.

Badgers Ready For Challenging Stretch Ahead

While there is one game remaining before the Wisconsin men’s basketball team hits the road for the first time, it is hard not to begin thinking about the games that lie beyond Tuesday night’s matchup with Missouri-Kansas City. Starting with Friday night’s Chicago Invitational Semi-Final against Bradley, the Badgers face a five-game stretch that could include four teams who competed in last year’s NCAA Tournament. But before Wisconsin sets its sights on the heart of the non-conference slate, they have one more piece of business to take care of in Madison as they face the Kangaroos of UMKC. More importantly, Tuesday night is the first opportunity for UW head coach Bo Ryan to pick up his 246th win at Wisconsin, tying Walter “Doc” Meanwell for second all-time in Badger history. “I really appreciate what Doc Meanwell meant to the game of basketball,” Ryan said. “Besides winning championships because people in coaching should be known for more than just how many banners they put up.” The ‘Roos head to Madison at 1-3, having never faced the Badgers. They do, however, have a history of facing stiff competition, having consistently played one of the more difficult non-conference schedules among the mid-majors and playing out of the extremely competitive Summit League. Bradley, playing out of the Missouri Valley conference, will likely head into Friday’s matchup at 4-0, having beaten North Dakota 78-69 on Saturday, with a final tune-up against Wofford set for Tuesday night. The Braves—a Sweet 16 team in 2006—have had a few tough seasons since, failing to reach the postseason for the second straight year in a 12-20 campaign last season. Beyond Bradley is where the heat gets turned up as the Badgers will face either a young and talented Nevada team, picked by many as a favorite to win the WAC, or a BYU team fresh off a Sweet 16 appearance last season. With a variety of different competitors slated for the next week, the motto for the Badgers has to be “just win baby”. Nothing but an unblemished record will serve as a solid foundation heading into arguably the most difficult test of the season, the Badgers’ ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup against top-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill. For a team that has not yet played a game this season that remained competitive heading into the second half, the heat will certainly be turned up gradually before the inferno that is the Dean Dome. All the Badgers can do to both prepare for that game and to continue to improve as a team is to keep winning. Three more victories and the focus can finally square up on the Tar Heels.

Badgers Continue To Roll With Rout of Wofford

Wisconsin has a bit of a history with Wofford, with the Terriers having given UW the scare of a lifetime in a 53-49 Badger win in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. But while there have been many instances of déjà vu for Badger athletics in recent weeks, Saturday night’s rematch was not among those as Wisconsin’s stifling defense eventually led to a 69-33 Badger win. Once again, it was the defense that shined for Wisconsin. After holding their first two opponents to just 29% from the field, the Badgers upped their game early on, holding the Terriers at just 20% in the first twenty minutes of play, heading into the locker room on a 19-2 run that led to a 32-12 halftime lead. “You always like a run like that,” junior forward Ryan Evans said. “But it all starts with defense.” “{Wofford} hurts a lot of teams inside…” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “If you have people that are committed to {playing good defense}, it tends to make the whole look a lot better.” From there, it was simply an easy cruise toward victory, as Wisconsin continued to extend the lead until it finally reached its peak of 36 following a last second jumper by junior walk-on J.D. Wise, a turnaround attempt that got the Badger bench on its feet with less than a minute remaining in the game. Once again, the Badger scoring came from across the board. Three Badgers finished Saturday in double digits, led by sophomore guard Josh Gasser, whose four-for-four performance from beyond the arc led to a 16-point night. “I have more confidence this year and that just comes with maturing from freshman year to sophomore year…” Gasser said. “A lot of guys are knocking down shots and that just leaves me open.” Perhaps the biggest story was the man who was not involved heavily in the scoring, senior guard Jordan Taylor. Having been called upon to put points on the board throughout last season’s Sweet 16 campaign, the preseason first-team All-American point guard took command of the troops quietly on Saturday, only attempting three shots in the game and finishing the night with just four points. Once again, Taylor was ultra-efficient, racking up four assists without committing a turnover. “We all know what he can do,” Evans said. “But he’s just playing real team ball right now.” When the Badgers are able to get scoring from anywhere, opponents are finding them tough to defend. Add in the versatility of the Badger big men, their capability of shooting from distance, and you have a formula for success that has kept UW virtually unbeatable at home under Bo Ryan. “I think they’re very good…” Wofford head coach Mike Young said after the game. “It requires a level of awareness and a level of toughness to guard that. Such a grind, such a grind to play the Badgers.” The Badgers have one more warm-up in Madison as part of the Chicago Invitational when they face UMKC on Tuesday night. After that, UW heads south to face Bradley in the Chicago Invitational with a Saturday contest against either BYU or Nevada to round out the pre-UNC portion of the nonconference schedule. Three more victories and the Badgers have the table set for a big-time match-up in Chapel Hill.

Ted Porath- Familiar Wofford Heading to Madison

The No. 13 Badgers (3-0) will host the Wofford Terriers Saturday night at the Kohl Center. The Badgers have looked rather impressive in their first two games, winning them by 54 and 27, respectively. In these games the Wisconsin offense has averaged 76.5 points per game and is shooting over 50 percent from the field. What has really caught the eye of everyone though has been the Badgers’ ability to make three point shots. The Badgers made 15 against Kennesaw State and 10 against Colgate, shooting over 52 percent from three in those two games. “If that’s what the defense is giving us, we’ll take it,” Head Coach Bo Ryan said of his team shooting so many threes. “I don’t think there was one three in there that was really a bad three.” The star of the Badger offense thus far has been sophomore guard Ben Brust, who has come off the bench to be a spark plug and an x-factor for Wisconsin. Brust has averaged 15.5 points in the first two games, hitting 50 percent of his shots and making eight of his 16 attempted threes. While it has been Ben’s shooting ability that has gotten him all the press, he has been playing solid defense this year and been contributing in all other facets of the game. Coach Ryan emphasized that this is why Ben has gotten his opportunity this year. “Ben can hunt a shot down pretty well, but defensively and ball-handling and decision-making [he had work to do],” Ryan said. “If a guy’s ready he’ll play, if a guy isn’t he works his way into playing, but now he’s trying to be a defensive player and a good passer and a good rebounder. Wisconsin’s ability to defend has just as much to do with their winning this year as their ability to knock down shots, if not more. The Badgers have been able to hold their two opponents to an average of only a measly 36 points per game, and in these games the Badgers have been able to hold their opponents to contested jump shots, resulting in very low percentage from the field (29 percent). Typical though of a Bo Ryan coached team, Wisconsin, despite its success, feels it can improve defensively. Wofford is coming into Saturday’s game having rebounded off of its first loss against Georgia to win its last game against Emory & Henry 70-55 on Sunday. While Wofford might not seem like a tough opponent, the Badgers should ask the 2009 Badgers about just how tough they are to beat; Wofford played Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA tournament and was leading in the game but ended up losing by only four points. Wofford is coming off its second-straight Southern Conference title, and though they have lost four of their starters from last year’s team, including SoCon player of the year Noah Dahlman, they have a legacy of winning which means they will not be afraid of Wisconsin or coming to the Kohl Center.

Ted Porath- Badgers Rout Colgate Despite Sloppy Play

After a resounding 54 point victory against Kennesaw State on Saturday, in which the Badgers shot 15-25 from behind the arc and moved up one spot to No. 14 in the AP Poll, Wisconsin looked to pick up its second regular season win against the Colgate Raiders of the Patriot League in the teams’ first ever matchup. The Badgers (2-0) were able to pick up another easy win as they beat the Colgate Raiders (1-1) 68-41. This was Wisconsin’s 21st consecutive win at the Kohl Center and the 38th in their last 39 home games. The Badgers came out firing in the first half once again, making seven of their first 11 three pointers and shot 52 percent overall to score 42 first half points. The second half was more of a struggle for the Badger offense, scoring only 26 points. The main reason for this was an over eight minute shooting funk at the beginning of the second half in which Wisconsin missed 12 of their first 13 shots, including a 0 for 9 stretch. Coach Bo Ryan was not concerned, chalking this up to simply missing shots. “Sometimes shots don’t go down and that’s why you take the entity. You can’t take a minute here, five minutes there,” Ryan said. “Basketball can be that way sometimes; sometimes the shots just aren’t going.” Despite a worse shooting percentage from the field in this game (44.3 percent), the Badgers were still able to be effective offensively, as they were dominant down low, outscoring Colgate 32-12 in the paint and were once again able to shoot a high percentage from three, making 10 of their 23 shots behind the arc. Leading the way for the Badgers was once again sophomore Ben Brust, who is proving to be an x-factor as the sixth man. After hitting four out of eight threes in Saturday’s game, Brust wasted no time to get acclimated to Wednesday night’s game. Brust was once again a force coming off the bench, staying red hot making 4 out his first five threes and scoring 12 of the Badgers first 32 points. Though Brust was less effective on offense in the second half, he was still able to come away with 17 points for the game. Junior center Jared Berggren was big reason the Badgers controlled the paint, scoring 9 points and hitting the boards for 7 rebounds. After a solid performance in the Badgers’ first game he backed it up in the second and could be the force in the paint that the Badgers desperately need down the road this year. The Badgers once again played defense, getting deflections and filling passing lanes, which allowed them come up with11 steals and outscore Colgate 9-0 on the fast break. Junior forward Ryan Evans was a big contributor to that, contributing with four steals of his own to go along with his seven points. Despite the Badgers’ success thus far, they will have to improve on their free throw shooting if they are to be an elite team this year. This is surprising as Bo Ryan’s teams are usually one of the best in the country at the charity stripe. The Badgers only made four out of 14 free throws against Colgate and have only shot 52 percent on the year at the line. The Badgers will now shift their focus to the Wofford Terriers, who come to Madison Saturday night. Wofford is 1-1, having lost to Georgia on the road in their first game and beating Emory & Henry 70-55 at home in their next game.

UW Ready For Raiders

There was plenty to talk about following Wisconsin’s 85-31 season opening win over Kennesaw State. From the record-tying first half in which the Badgers only gave up 8 points to the 54 point margin of victory, their largest since 2006, the season opener was certainly a wake up call to a UW fan base heading into yet another season not knowing what to expect. Having dismantled a somewhat one-dimensional Owl team Saturday, Wisconsin now faces the challenge of facing a much more disciplined, multi-dimensional Colgate team. “We know the experience level of most teams is going to go up {from Kennesaw State},” UW head coach Bo Ryan said Monday. “They’ll play better together and play better off each other on both ends of the court.” Colgate is one of those teams, led by two seniors in guard Mike Venezia and forward Sterling Melville who combined for 39 points in Colgate’s 78-74 season opening win over Binghamton, the Raiders’ first season opening win in three years. “You like to play good teams earlier in the year that can prepare you for the Big Ten season and for tougher non-conference play,” sophomore guard Josh Gasser said. “We know Colgate is going to be a good team, they are well coached and they run their system right.” One way that UW figures to combat that system is by making sure that the frontcourt remains a presence both in terms of scoring and on the boards, an area where the size advantage UW has should allow them to dominate. Juniors Jared Berggren and Ryan Evans both finished Saturday’s game in double-digits scoring, with fellow junior Mike Bruesewitz adding a 7-point, 4-assist, and 8-rebound performance of his own. Bruesewitz and the rest of the big men have focused not only on providing a boost to the team’s point totals, but more importantly on taking care of the little things that may or may not show up on the box score. “There was times when I maybe could have taken a shot but I passed up a good shot for a great shot,” Bruesewitz said. “That’s how you shoot 65% from three is when you have a lot of guys who are unselfish. Little things are so important and they contribute to why we’re so efficient offensively.” The emphasis on the little things goes beyond just the big men up front. Senior guard Jordan Taylor, having led the country in assist-to-turnover ratio last season, turned in another efficient performance Saturday with 7 assists and no turnovers. “Jordan is obviously a good scorer pretty much whenever he wants but teams are going to take him away,” sophomore guard Josh Gasser said. “He’s such a good point guard that he wont make bad decisions and he will get other guys involved.” One of those guys Taylor will look for on Wednesday is sophomore guard Ben Brust. Having only seen minimal time during his freshman year, Brust has surged onto the scene early this year, finishing Saturday’s regular season opener with a team-high 14 points coming off the bench. “When I did get those opportunities {last season} and I watched myself not have success, it just eats at you,” Brust said. “I just looked back and I said I would never let that happened again.” Brust is not alone in playing with that chip on his shoulder, as the drive to continue to improve and to continue to succeed seems to permeate the entire Badger roster. So while Colgate comes to Madison with an experienced and talented group of players primed to pull off the upset, Wisconsin simply doesn’t seem ready to let anything like that happen anytime soon.

Ted Porath- Badgers Start off Season With Blowout Win

The AP preseason No. 15 Badgers men’s basketball team took on the Kennesaw State Fighting Owls on Saturday in the first ever meeting between the two teams. After handling UW Stevens Point in their one and only exhibition game, 80-54, Wisconsin looked to continue their winning ways in their first regular season tussle of the year. Continue their winning ways they did, playing soundly on both ends of the court and running the Owls out of the gym to the tune of an 85-31 drubbing. Early in the game it was clear that that Saturday’s game was going to go their way, despite Spencer Dixon banking in the first shot of the ball game to put the Owls up 3-0. Any hopes Kennesaw State had of winning the game were dashed by a 16-0 run by Wisconsin that included two threes by junior Mike Bruesewitz that gave the team the early lead that they would not relinquish. The Badgers defense, however, had a lot to do with this sound victory, playing great team defense and relegating Kennesaw State to contested jump shots most of the first half as the Owls shot a paltry 13 percent from the field, only making three of their first 23 shots and scoring only eight points in the process. It was the exact opposite for the Badgers offense, as they came out firing on all cylinders. The Badgers shot 54 percent from the field in the first half, with a variety of Badgers combining to shoot seven out of 12 from behind the arc. The beat continued on into the second half as the Badgers ended the game shooting 15-25 from behind the arc and shooting 59 percent from the field. The secret to the Badgers success on offense was making the unselfish extra passes that allowed Wisconsin players to constantly shoot and make open shots, especially three-pointers. This was evident as the Badgers had assists on 23 of their 30 made baskets. The Badgers also dominated the battle of the boards, out-rebounding the Owls 41-20. Leading the way for the Badgers offense were sophomore Josh Gasser and freshman Ben Brust, with each scoring 14 points. Gasser, who also had four rebounds and four assists, was unconscious shooting the ball, never missing a shot as he went four for four from three and made both of his free throw attempts. Brust was a spark plug off the bench, playing well at both ends of the court. Brust was active on defense and stellar on offense hitting three after three, finishing five of 11 from the field and four for eight from downtown. With this game being the blowout that it was, head coach Bo Ryan was able to sub-in a variety of players. Normally this type of substituting throws off a team’s chemistry and thus play becomes sloppy, but this was not the case as five different Wisconsin players scored in double figures and ten different Badgers were able to put up points in the box score. “I thought all the gears were pretty much meshing no matter who was on the court,” Ryan said. “And that’s a good sign.” This balanced scoring is definitely a great sign for a Wisconsin basketball team that, with the loss of Leuer, Nankivil and Jarmusz, had faced questions all off-season about who else besides preseason all-American Jordan Taylor was going to be able put the ball in the basket. The Badgers’ next game will be on Wednesday night at the Kohl Center against the Colgate Raiders of the Patriot League, who won their first game of the year, defeating the Binghamton Bearcats of the American East, 78-74.

Josh Schur- Freshman Class Ready for New Challenge

Josh Schur- Each year brings new promise for Wisconsin men’s basketball, and Badger freshmen certainly figure to play a role in fulfilling that promise. While there may not be any big name recruits, the incoming class certainly has a lot to offer. The five freshmen each bring something different to the table, and the talent of the freshman class is certainly evident. The five freshmen include guards George Marshall, Jordan Smith, and Traevon Jackson, forward Jared Uthoff, and big man Frank Kaminsky. “They have different types of players across the board…” Sophomore guard Ben Brust said. “So it’s good that it’s pretty diverse and they all bring something different to the table.” The Badgers seemingly get a little bit of everything out of the freshman, as not only the height, but also the strengths of the players cover nearly every aspect of Wisconsin basketball. “I would have to go with my offense, especially my post offense,” Kaminksy said when asked about his main strengths. While the former Benet Academy star was brought to Madison more for his offense, the speedy Marshall seems to be able to pick it up more on the defensive end. “I take great pride in my defense,” Marshall said. “That’s definitely another one of my strengths.” From the solid post game of Kaminsky to the quick hands of Marshall, the Badgers definitely get contributions all across the board. It is hard to pick out many similarities between the freshmen, but the difference in their individual play doesn’t seem to affect the chemistry with the team. “Theyre all good guys, they welcomed me with open arms and its been a pretty easy process…” Marshall said. “I feel like I learn something everyday” Fitting into a new system can be difficult for any new player, and the transition from high school to college is always a big leap. For these freshman though, the experienced veterans on the team have made the change much easier. From senior guard Jordan Taylor, to junior forward Jared Berggren, the forwards and guards alike both have the leadership above them to succeed in the system right away. “The leadership has been very good, Jared Berggren and Jordan Taylor are definitely the leaders out there and have been teaching me everything,” Kaminsky said. “I have been learning from them everyday. Mike Bruesewitz helps me out a lot too and the coaching staff is great.” While history may show that freshmen playing time isn’t easy to come by at Wisconsin, the players realize that the work they put in everyday will eventually lead to chances to play down the road. The start of the season is finally here, and the excitement for not only the upcoming season, but also the years down the road, is definitely at a high.

Badgers Start Off Season Right With Win Over Pointers

Capping off a busy day and night of Badger athletics in Madison, the UW men’s basketball team got their season off to a solid start with an 80-54 over Division 3 powerhouse UW-Stevens Point in the Badgers’ lone exhibition game of the season.

Junior forward Ryan Evans, thrust into the starting lineup following the departure of three seniors from last year’s front court, led the way with 16 points on 7 of 10 shooting in 23 minutes. Sophomore guard Ben Brust added 14 of his own, while junior forward Jared Berggren and sophomore guard Josh Gasser rounded out a group of four Badgers in double figures with 12 and 10 points respectively.

The scoring outburst by Berggren and Evans was particularly welcoming, with the front court completely revamped from last season.

“I didn’t notice anything I haven’t known for a while…” senior guard Jordan Taylor said. “They know what they’re capable of, they’re really good players and they’re just getting a chance to show it now.”

“We’ve known we can do this kind of stuff,” Evans said. “But with Jon and Keaton {Nankivil} leaving, we know we’ve got to step up a little more.”

After a season in which UW relied heavily upon the scoring of Jon Leuer and Taylor, Badger fans were treated to a much more spread out scoring attack as the Badgers managed to hit the 80-point mark despite Taylor only finishing with 8 points on 3/6 shooting. The senior guard made his presence well known throughout, however, as he finished the game with a game-high 7 assists to just one turnover.

“Jordan wasn’t looking to do anything but run the show,” Ryan said of Taylor. “If the shots were there then great…that’s when you know you’ve got a good point guard.”

The Pointers hung in the game through the first half, drawing within 10 after opening the second half with a score, but quickly fading as the Badgers size and strength began to take its toll. Senior guard Dan Tilema led the way for Stevens Point with 24 points on 8/17 shooting, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to keep pace as the Pointers faded from a 62% effort from the field in the first half to shoot just 32% in the second half.

“It seems like every time you play one of these games, there’s a guy who gets hot,” Ryan said. “You just can’t give him open looks and we did a much better job of that in the 2nd half.”

The Badgers were very aggressive on the defensive end throughout the game, forcing Stevens Point into committing 18 turnovers, a high tally for a Pointer program known throughout the division three world for its ability to take care of the ball.

While the positives were everywhere for UW, one area that will certainly get emphasis in the break down is the free throw shooting. A season after nearing setting an NCAA record for their proficiency at the line, the Badgers were just 6/12 from the charity stripe in the opener, a far cry from last season’s 81.4% season total.

“You remember its who is shooting them…” Ryan said. “Last year, the right guys got fouled, confident shooters. But yeah, its early.”

The Badgers now have another week to batten up the hatches before opening the regular season next Saturday against Kennesaw State. Tip off is at noon at the Kohl Center.

Josh Schur- Badgers Continue To Grind Away in Final Week of Preseason

Josh Schur-

It is obvious that the Wisconsin men’s basketball team is ready for the season to begin.

With their first exhibition game against UW- Stevens Point on November 5th approaching, the team is now in the process of putting some finishing touches on the usual style of play for Wisconsin basketball, hard nosed and fundamentally sound.

The battle for playing time is still fairly open as sophomore guard Ben Brust and freshman forward Jarrod Uthoff saw extended time today with the first team during practice and took advantage. Brust especially has been playing well, as he seems to have improved upon every aspect of his game. During the red-white scrimmage on Sunday, Brust had 22 points in a performance that clearly showed his improvement from last year, as well as his talent.

Along with Uthoff, fellow freshman Frank Kaminksy also played with the first team, and showed his versatility in the post as well as on the perimeter. After the scrimmage, the Badgers showed some of their strengths in their shooting and passing drills. As always, it was impressive to see nearly every Wisconsin big man making their long-range jump shots with ease, and this poses a threat for opposing defenses every game.

The interior passing of the Badgers was also on display during the scrimmage, and the drills at the end of practice showed how it is a point of emphasis in the Badger game plan.

As all practices end, the free-throw shooting was nearly perfect for the Badgers. This factor alone shows how this team should have the ability to close out games, and their style of play as a whole looked very solid today.