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.