Badgers Sleepwalk Their Way To Home Defeat

After getting the conference season off to a promising start with a decisive road victory over Nebraska, 11th-ranked Wisconsin men's basketball (1-1 Big Ten, 12-3 overall) laid an egg on Saturday, losing their Big Ten home opener to Iowa (1-1 Big Ten, 9-6 overall) by a final score of 72-65.

While many will point to Wisconsin's 3-of-28 performance from beyond the three-point line, the Badgers' first losing conference home opener in 12 years was the result of poor transition defense. After making defense a hallmark of their game throughout the non-conference schedule, UW allowed Iowa to score 14 points on fast break opportunities, with the Badgers only managing to notch two of their own.

UW's lack of depth was on clear display as they struggled from the get-go and couldnt turn to a viable alternative on the bench. Sophomore guard Ben Brust, Wisconsin's leading bench scorer at just over ten points a game coming into Saturday, struggled mightily against the Hawkeyes, the school he originally signed with prior to then-coach Todd Lickliter's dismissal. While the Hawkthorn Woods, Ill. native did finish with 11 points, he was 4-of-13 from the field and just 1-of-9 from beyond the arc, those misses leading to several fast break opportunities for the opportunistic Hawkeyes.

As much as Wisconsin's bench play was non-existent, Iowa's was the key to their victory. Freshman guard Aaron White led three Hawkeyes in double digits with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting, the lone misfire being followed up by an offensive rebound and putback that gave Iowa the lead for good. Senior guard Bryce Cartwright also came up big off the bench, finishing the game with 17 points of his own on 7-of-12 from the field.

But the bottom line was that Wisconsin's inability to build depth in the non-conference portion of the season came back to bite them on Saturday. With junior forward Ryan Evans in foul trouble and limited to just 15 minutes of floor time, the Badgers were forced to have five players play over 30 minutes, with senior guard Jordan Taylor staying on the floor for the entire 40 minutes. Ultimately, fatigue set in, as Taylor and others were caught a step slow on the defensive end throughout the second half, something Badger fans have not been accustomed to seeing from what was the nation's top scoring defense.

Wisconsin now has just two days to prepare for a much stiffer test at home as Michigan State rolls into town on Tuesday night. With a road date against another top-20 team in Michigan just beyond that and another at Purdue to follow, Wisconsin is now staring a 1-4 start in Big Ten play square in the face.

One bad performance and the conversation has immediately gone from final four to bubble hopes. Oh how quickly things can change.

Badgers Set For Final Non-Conference Tune-Up

One of the more oft-mentioned mantras in sports is that each and every game is a unique challenge in itself, the old "one game at a time" philosophy. But as Wisconsin men's basketball sets to cap off their non-conference season today against Mississippi Valley State, one has to believe they have their eye on Nebraska.

After their 6-0 start was derailed by consecutive losses at the hands of Marquette and North Carolina, the 14th-ranked Badgers (10-2) have turned their season back on the right track with victories over UW-Green Bay, UNLV, UW-Milwaukee, and Savannah State heading into the final exam break. With just one final game between them and Tuesday night's conference opener in Lincoln, the Badgers know that this game has to be more than simply about winning.

But while preparation is on the minds of the Wisconsin players and coaching staff as they get set to face the Delta Devils (1-9), there is also a keen recognition of whatever validity remains in the "one game at a time" myth. After all, a sluggish performance Friday does the Badgers no good with Christmas followed up almost immediately by the first Big Ten road test of the season. 

One player who needs to get back on track is senior guard Jordan Taylor. While the preseason All-American has continued to play the point with unparalleled efficiency, the shot has simply been off most of the season for the Bloomington, Minn native. That said, Taylor's 0-for-10 performance in the December 10th victory over UNLV seemed to be the rock bottom and since then Taylor has rattled off games of 14 and 12 points. His presence on the offensive end, not simply as the facilitator, is something the Badgers will need as they head into Big Ten play.

Serving as the matinee for Friday night's women's game against UW-Green Bay, the Badgers will tip off at 4:30 at the Kohl Center, looking to finish off the non-conference season 11-2 for the 2nd straight season.

Badgers Roll Into Finals With Big Win

After surviving a tough road test Tuesday night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin men's basketball returned home to the Kohl Center and stormed past an overwhelmed Savannah State (1-1 MEAC, 4-8 overall) team in their 66-33 win Thursday night. The Badgers (10-2) were quick out of the gates, hitting 8 of their first 9 shots while jumping out to a 16-4 lead just over 5 minutes into the game.

Once again, junior forward Jared Berggren led the scoring for UW. The Princeton, Minn native followed up his 17 point performance against Milwaukee with 13 points Thursday night, 11 coming in the first half. Berggren took advantage of the smaller Savannah State front court and imposed his will on the interior.

All five Wisconsin starters finished the game with at least 8 points, with 4 of the 5 finishing the night in double figures scoring. Sophomore guard Josh Gasser had a resurgence of sorts, finishing the night 4-of-7 from the field en route to a 10 point, 5 rebound night.

The Badgers now take a week off for finals before finishing off the non-conference season on December 23rd against Mississippi Valley State. The Big Ten opener at Nebraska is now just 12 days away.

Badgers Eek Out Road Win in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE, Wis.-Leading by 17 points with just over 15 minutes left, it seemed as if Wisconsin men’s basketball would have no trouble picking up its first true road win of the young season. But after UW-Milwaukee (2-0 Horizon, 8-3 overall) responded with a 21-4 run over the next ten minutes, the Badgers immediately had a fight on their hands. But thanks in large part to a clutch three-pointer in the final minute made by senior guard Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin (9-2 overall) got out of Milwaukee with a 60-54 victory.

Playing in front of a crowd of 10,143 at US Cellular Arena, the largest crowd in UW-M history, it looked for much of the night as if UW was going to run away with a rout. Junior forward Ryan Evans gave the Badgers a big lift throughout the first half and early in the 2^nd, scoring a career-high 16 points in just the first 26 minutes of the game.

“{Evans} did a really good job of taking his assignments and sticking to them,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “He was also able to get some buckets finished underneath and to get to the free throw line…defensively he has been doing a good job {all season} and offensively, same thing.”

But as Evans began to struggle offensively, Panther Senior forward Tony Meier took center stage, leading a sudden charge that took Tuesday’s game from laugher to dual in a matter of minutes. Meier finished the game with a team-high 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, hitting two clutch three-point shots during the Panther run before going cold as UW-M faded down stretch.

Tuesday night was all about runs. Wisconsin got off to a hot start with a 14-2 run in the first half that gave them a 22-8 lead in the first half. Ultimately, the cushion that early run gave UW allowed them to withstand a furious comeback by the Panthers that had US Cellular Arena rocking late in the 2^nd half.

Having survived the test Milwaukee gave them, the Badgers are now able to use the experience gained Tuesday night as they head into Big Ten play.

“It was a good road test for us to play in an environment like this,” junior forward Jared Berggren said. “To survive the run they made, its good preparation for what is to come in the Big Ten season and the rest of the year.”

After missing a late shot that could have gotten the Badgers right back in the game against North Carolina, Taylor’s last-minute heroics were a welcome sight for a Badger team desperately needing their star point guard to recover from his recent slump. Giving a discernible yell after the bucket, it was clear Taylor understood the enormity of the shot, one that gave UW a cushion they ultimately rode to the six-point win.

“I felt like he backed off a bit so I took the shot,” Taylor said. “I was just fortunate to have it go down.”

Evans recalled the shot a bit differently, noting that he saw something in Taylor that has been missed over the past few weeks.

“To tell you the truth, I knew it was going in…” Evans said. “There’s a look in his eye when you know Jordan is going to make the shot.”

With their first road victory now in hand, the Badgers now look forward to the homestretch of the non-conference schedule. Just two games and 14 days remain before the Big Ten opener in Lincoln, Nebraska on December 27^th. 

Badgers Set for Road Test in Milwaukee

Having seemingly gotten back on their feet after two consecutive losses to top-10 teams North Carolina and Marquette, #14/15 Wisconsin (8-2, 0-0 Big Ten) now faces its final road test of the non-conference schedule as they visit in-state rival UW-Milwaukee (8-2, 2-0 Horizon) on Tuesday night.

Fresh off of a win over UNLV on Saturday, arguably their best victory of the young season, the Badgers now set out to prove that they can win on the road. Although Wisconsin is 27-1 all-time against Milwaukee and a perfect 10-0 under head coach Bo Ryan, the Panthers have a tournament-ready team this season, having already taken down Big East member DePaul in non-conference play.

“Milwaukee is a really, really good team…” UW junior forward Mike Bruesewitz said Sunday. “They haven’t lost at home yet so they are going to be a real challenge for us.”

One of the challenges in facing the Panthers this season is that they don’t really have a stand out scorer. While leading scorer Kaylon Williams is averaging just 12.8 points per contest, Milwaukee has three players averaging in double figures, with another three clocking in above the 8.5 point per game mark as well. Fighting injuries throughout the season, the Panthers have done a remarkable job of replacing lost production while playing all ten games without at least one projected starter.

While Wisconsin is a staggering 158-12 at home under coach Ryan, once they leave the Kohl Center they are a modest 55-57. After finishing last season just 5-6 in true road games, winning on the road immediately became a point of emphasis heading into the 2011-2012 campaign. Already having lost their first road test at #5 North Carolina, the Badgers desperately need to pick up a win on their opponent’s home floor, if for no other reason than to build confidence heading into the demanding Big Ten schedule.

“To go into their place and get a win would be huge against a good team…” sophomore guard Josh Gasser said. “A road win is a road win, its always good to have one under your belt.”

From day 1, the focus this season has been on the play of a trio of juniors in the backcourt. While Jared Berggren has been a constant presence on the floor for UW, the play of fellow Bruesewitz and Ryan Evans has fluctuated wildly along the spectrum, great at times and anything but at others.

Both had been struggling of late before resurgent performances in Saturday’s win. Bruesewitz picked up a career-high 10 rebounds to lead the way for the Badgers, with Evans adding 9 for a career-high of his own. Their presence on the glass, something missing during the lull UW seemed to hit at the beginning of the month, makes Wisconsin much more dangerous no matter where they play.

“We’ve got so many guys who can score…” Gasser said. “We just try to do the little things and when our chances are open, knock them down and make some plays.”

With finals just a week away and Big Ten play not far behind, the mental challenge of staying in the moment might be the toughest task to handle as the Badgers try to take care of business in Milwaukee.

“We do a good job as a team to make sure that we get that stuff done off the court,” sophomore guard Ben Brust said. “When we are on the court, you’ve got to be focused all the time.”

“This week is going to be a little bit of a struggle…” Bruesewitz admitted. “But that is why you are a Division 1 athlete.”

Big Day From Brust Gives Badgers Much-Needed Win

It was far from pretty, but the Badgers finally picked up the non-conference win they needed as they defeated UNLV 62-51 on Saturday. While Wisconsin (8-2, 0-0) shot just 37% from the field as a team, sophomore guard Ben Brust saved them from a far worse number, finishing the afternoon with a career-high 25 points on 8-of-9 shooting, including a 7-for-7 mark from behind the three-point line. “Ben {today} makes close to half of our field goals. Without that we don’t win…” senior guard Jordan Taylor said. “Defensively it was a good effort and Ben took it over on the offensive end. We won. Doesn’t matter how you get it done.” “The past three games, a lot of them felt good, they just weren’t going in,” Brust said after tying his own school record from 3-point range. “You just have to have shooters amnesia and just keep firing to shoot out of it.” Beyond the record-setting shooting day by Brust, the Badger defense stifled a high-powered Rebel offense that had already scored 90 points in a win over North Carolina earlier in the year. UNLV sophomore forward Mike Moser, who came into Saturday averaging 15.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, only managed 4 points, picking up 9 of his 11 rebounds on the defensive glass. Despite struggling on the boards in recent games, UW dominated on Saturday, picking up 10 offensive rebounds against UNLV (9-2, 0-0) and putting up 8 more shots than the Runnin’ Rebels. “The fact that {UNLV} did not have an offensive rebound in the first half, I thought our guys did a good job of putting bodies on them,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “We battled them on the glass, I can take that.” That work on the defensive end ultimately allowed Wisconsin to overcome a poor shooting performance in addition to a tough day for Taylor. The Badgers’ preseason All-American point guard was shadowed on the offensive end the entire contest, finishing 0-for-10 from the field with just 4 points. Taylor also finished with an uncharacteristic 3 turnovers despite managing 6 assists. Ultimately, UNLV could only manage one player in double digits scoring, as senior forward Chase Stanback led the way with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Still, that was a far cry from the 25 points he threw down on the Badgers in UNLV’s 68-65 win last season in Las Vegas. “They are a very talented team, they score close to 80 or 90 points a game…” junior forward Mike Bruesewitz said. “Something I think we need to continue to do is to hang our hat on our defense and keep holding those high scoring teams within our threshold and make sure we can take care of business that way.” Though Brust was certainly the headline, the re-emergence of Bruesewitz and sophomore guard Josh Gasser was perhaps the most encouraging sign as the Badgers move on to the latter part of the non-conference slate. Bruesewitz rebounded from recent struggles to have a solid afternoon, showing much more energy on both ends of the floor than he had shown over the last few games. His 6 points and team-high 10 rebounds were crucial for a Badger team that has not done the little things quite as well of late. And having struggled offensively while being hampered by a sore right wrist, Gasser made his presence known from the get-go, finishing with 6 points and 8 rebounds at the second guard spot. “I felt like I was able to put the ball on the floor a little bit against their bigger guys,” Bruesewitz said. “That takes some pressuring off Jordan, trying to get in the lane. I was able to create some stuff for myself and for my teammates.” Next up for the Badgers is a midweek road game against UW-Milwaukee. The Panthers (8-2, 2-0 Horizon) are coming off a 67-51 loss to Northern Iowa and are coached by former UW assistant coach Rob Jeter. Tip time is 7:00pm on Tuesday. “It’s only a third into the season and its moving fast…” Taylor said. “If we put it all together we’ve got a team that can do a lot of things this year.”

Ted Porath- All Attention on UNLV

This weekend's matchup will be the Badgers' (7-2 overall) final game of a three-game home stand and will be the second game of a home-and-home series the Badgers currently have with UNLV (9-1). Wisconsin will look to take out some revenge on the Rebels, as UNLV beat the Badgers in Las Vegas last year 68-65. After breaking a two-game slide in a romp of UW-Green Bay, the Badgers now turn their attention to unranked UNLV. While this might seem like a game Wisconsin should win easily, that is definitely not the case. UNLV, despite losing its place in the AP Top-25 due to a 19-point loss to a capable Wichita State squad, holds a 9-1 record and was the team that took down then-No. 1 North Carolina from the ranks of the unbeaten. If UNLV can take down North Carolina-a team that beat Wisconsin earlier this year-it can certainly give the Badgers all they can handle. Leading the way for the Runnin' Rebels this year has been sophomore forward Mike Moser, who leads UNLV in both points per game (15.8) and rebounds per game (12.5). While Moser can dominate on the inside like he did against an NBA-like North Carolina front line, against which he racked up 18 rebounds, he can also stretch the floor by making three-point baskets. Moser's ability to play both inside and out will definitely pose a big concern for the Badgers Saturday. Another big concern for the Badgers will be UNLV's man-to-man pressure defense, made famous by former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian. The defense has forced an average of 16 turnovers per game this season. With this pressure defense and its ability to push the ball on offense, UNLV will try to get the Badgers out of their slow-paced possession-by-possession style and force them to play at a much faster pace, which UNLV hopes will get the Badgers uncomfortable and cause the them to commit a high amount of turnovers. This should be a concern for the Badgers because in their game against Marquette-a team that features a similar pressure-style defense-the Badgers looked frustrated all afternoon and committed 12 turnovers, including five by normally sure-handed senior point guard Jordan Taylor. With UNLV putting pressure on the ball, somebody else for the Badgers will have to step up and play big to take pressure off of Taylor. A player who can do that is sophomore guard Josh Gasser. Gasser, who got out to a hot start in the first part of the season, has not scored more than seven points in any of his last four games. If Gasser can regain his early season form, with his ability to penetrate and making outside shots, he can exploit an overaggressive UNLV defense. Look for Gasser to get back in the swing of things and be an x-factor for the Badgers Saturday. Read more: http://host.madison.com/daily-cardinal/sports/men-s-basketball-all-attention-on-unlv/article_0a2381ba-2214-11e1-a630-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1g9mionHK

Ted Porath- Badgers Down In-State Rival

After two straight losses, the No. 16 Wisconsin men’s basketball team got back on track against in-state foe UW-Green Bay. The Badgers (7-2 overall) looked like a team on a mission and soundly defeated the Phoenix (4-5 overall, 2-0 Horizon), 70-42. “We felt we wanted to come in here and definitely get a win. I think we were a little bit more focused,” junior forward Ryan Evans said. After a rough afternoon against Marquette on Saturday, in which he had an uncharacteristic five turnovers, senior point guard Jordan Taylor returned to his preseason All-American form against the Phoenix, scoring a game-high fifteen points while dropping in ten assists for his first double-double of the year. In classic Taylor fashion, this was all accomplished without committing a single turnover. “Ten assists, zero turnovers, there’s not too many guys in the country that have that,” head coach Bo Ryan said. “He saw the floor well. He would get an angle and guys would help to him and he’d find the open guy, and that’s being a good point guard.” Also contributing to the Wisconsin victory were Evans and junior center Jared Berggren, who scored 14 and 13 points respectively, providing a much needed presence in the paint. The Badgers bench was also a big contributor, with a total of ten different players combining for 21 total points. “It’s always good to see when you have guys come off the bench. We know we have plenty of guys who can step in and give us some good minutes, and we were able to show it tonight,” Berggren said. After Green Bay cut the Badgers’ lead to one at 12-11, Wisconsin was able to distance themselves from the Phoenix, going on a 14-1 run to take a 26-12 lead despite rotating subs off the bench early and often. Wisconsin was able to keep the lead at double digits and went into halftime up 33-21. Wisconsin continued the shooting woes that plagued them in their first two losses, shooting only 36 percent from the field and making only two out of 11 from behind the arc in the first half. Fortunately for the Badgers, they continued to play great defense, forcing the Phoenix to shoot under 30 percent and causing nine turnovers in the first half. Wisconsin wasted no time taking control of the game in the second half, scoring eight straight points coming out of the break to boost their lead to 20 points. The Badgers continued to tack on from there and cruised to the victory. The biggest reason for the Badgers’ success in the second half was their ability to finally start making consistent shots; the Badgers shot 58 percent from the field in the second half. This was not the case for the Badgers’ three-point shooting, however, as they shot three out of 17 from behind the arc, continuing their recent long-distance shooting struggles. This lack of shooting could be seen as a silver lining, as the Badgers won a game while not shooting well from three. Wisconsin will now look forward to their final game of the three-game home stand against UNLV.

Badgers Begin To Begin New Streak Against In-State Rival

After seeing their 23-game home win streak brought to an end Saturday with a 61-54 defeat at the hands of #11 Marquette, #14 Wisconsin (6-2, 0-0) will quickly have the opportunity to begin a new streak as Green Bay visits the Kohl Center Wednesday night. The Phoenix (4-4, 2-0) have never won in 14 games played against the Badgers in Madison and are 0-4 on the road thus far this season. However, head coach Brian Wardle’s team is riding high after winning back-to-back games this past weekend to start Horizon League play. With many of the Phoenix players having grown up in the shadow of Wisconsin basketball, the annual matchup with the Badgers is something that Green Bay always has circled on the calendar. “Having been on both ends of it, its pretty exciting…” UW head coach Bo Ryan said of the intra-state rivalry. “Having coached at UW-Milwaukee, I knew what it was like getting ready for this. You know what the players are thinking. Its just natural.” While this is certainly one of the bigger games of the year for Green Bay, it remains an important test for Wisconsin as well. UW heads into Wednesday night having lost its past two games and clearly in need of a quick turnaround. With another ranked opponent in UNLV scheduled to come to Madison this weekend, the Badgers must shake off the cobwebs and do more than just squeak away with a victory. “Obviously first of all we want to get the win anyway possible,” sophomore guard Josh Gasser said Monday. “But at the same time we just want to get into the flow of our offense together. I guess we need to get our mojo, our swagger back that we had at the beginning of the year when we were just so confident and in a flow.” At least on paper, it seems that goal number one for the Badgers has to be to shoot at a higher percentage. After shooting nearly 50% from the field in the first six games, Wisconsin has struggled mightily in two losses over the past week, shooting just 36% from the field against North Carolina and just 32% in the loss to Marquette. But for UW to really turn the offense around, there is plenty they can do in order to get the shots falling once again. “We just need to do a better job of moving the ball as a team…” senior guard Jordan Taylor said. “We’ve gotten stagnant at times, a lot of the time. So its just a matter of getting back to our stuff and keeping the ball moving.” One thing that Wisconsin must improve upon is the scoring spread. After having six different players post games with double-digit scoring over the six-game winning streak at the start of the year, only three players have hit the mark since. Against Marquette, only Taylor managed to cross the ten-point threshold, finishing with 13 points on 4 of 10 shooting. But first and foremost, the Badgers have to take care of the ball. During their three-point loss in Chapel Hill, Wisconsin only turned the ball over four times, the lowest any team has been forced into against North Carolina since Duke only had three in a neutral site game back in 2002. But while that performance left many people impressed with the Badgers even in defeat, a 12-turnover game at home against the Golden Eagles gave plenty of cause for concern. “On Saturday we kind of laid an egg,” junior forward Jared Berggren said. “I felt like we didn’t put our best foot forward and for whatever reason Marquette just got the best of us.” Just five games remain before Wisconsin opens up Big Ten play at Nebraska on December 27th and having suffering tough losses in their two toughest non-conference matchups, the Badgers know that they need to right the ship and head into conference play on a good note. “Anytime you lose its critical to come back and win the next time…” Taylor said. “Its just a matter of getting back on track. Making shots, playing basketball.”

Short Sighted Coaching Opens Door For Badger Slide

Wisconsin got off to a 6-0 start with ease. Winning by an average of nearly 40 points and finishing no game with less than a 17-point margin of victory. Their confidence was through the roof and many were finally starting to talk about the Badgers as one of the nation’s elite. But amidst the early season success, Wisconsin missed out on an opportunity to help themselves come time for the inevitable spell of adversity to rear its ugly head. Through Wednesday night’s 60-57 defeat on the road against #5 North Carolina, the Badgers had only 7 players averaging double digit minutes. This for a team that had only played one tight game so there was plenty of “garbage time”. Against UNC, the lack of depth wasn’t overtly apparent, but it did play a role. With junior forward Jared Berggren heading into foul trouble, freshman Frank Kaminsky was forced to see significant time against Tar Heel senior forward Tyler Zeller, a 7-footer who has dominated more than his fair share of big men over his tenure in Chapel Hill. Kaminsky wasn’t awful, but Zeller definitely found his comfort zone when the freshman had to fill in with Berggren on the bench. In Saturday’s 61-54 loss to Marquette, the lack of depth was as clear as the light of day. Marquette got off to a fast start and while UW was able to cut two separate double-digit deficits to just a single possession, each time they failed to sustain the momentum. Fatigue was going to be an issue after the tough game against Carolina, but with Wisconsin unable to go more than 8 deep, it was arguably a deciding factor. But depth should not be an issue for this year’s Badger team. Wisconsin has plenty of ability sitting on the bench that can play the fill-in role more than admirably. The problem is that those potential role players were never given an opportunity to see the floor early in the season and as a result, they are totally unprepared to contribute in the clutch. Beyond the risk of injury, there is simply no reason for starters to be playing during the last three minutes of a 40-point game. You build the lead, earn yourself the privilege of spreading out the minutes, and essentially squander the opportunity. Compare that to Marquette head coach Buzz Williams. Williams’ team started off the season in a similar fashion to Wisconsin, blowing out mediocre opponents in preparation for a big matchup in Madison. But instead of sticking with starters in meaningless “garbage time”, Williams made sure that the role players were ready when duty came calling. In fact, every player on Marquette’s roster with the exception of one (who hasn’t been eligible until recently) has averaged double digit minutes thus far this season. So not surprisingly, Williams was able to get the win in Madison with a 10 man rotation, finishing the Badgers off simply by wearing them down on their home floor. Sometimes as a coaching staff you need to be thinking beyond the present. The “one game at a time” mentality is great for answering questions at the weekly press conference, but the reality is that when you have a 77-44 lead with 4 minutes left, you shouldn’t be thinking just about winning the game at hand. This is where the Badgers went wrong. In focusing on the present and the present only while running over mediocre opponents from Kennesaw State to Wofford, UW lost itself a 23-game winning streak. They lost the Marquette game by only thinking of the here and now while running over the sacrificial lambs paid to come in and start off the season at the Kohl Center. Getting everyone into the game and into the act isn’t about compassion for the guys on the end of the bench, its about making sure that those guys can be counted in when the time comes for them to contribute. Saturday afternoon was one of those times when they were needed and because the UW coaching staff made no attempt to get them involved when the opportunity was there, they weren’t ready when they simply had to be. Jordan Taylor was in foul trouble. Ben Brust and Josh Gasser couldn’t buy a jump shot. Mike Bruesewitz was having a tough time shaking defenders. And both Ryan Evans and Jared Berggren couldn’t get themselves open on the low post. But there was no backup plan, there was no second option. Buzz Williams had that backup plan. Guard Junior Cadougan was out after violating team rules and forward Jae Crowder struggled with foul trouble. However, unlike Ryan, Williams was able to turn to a bench that eventually responded with 32 points to Wisconsin’s 11. And 9 of those 11 for UW came from guard Ben Brust, whose normally reliable 3-point shot was strikingly off throughout the entire contest. Badger fans wonder how Wisconsin seemingly always falls prey to the five, six, seven minute scoring drive at a crucial moment. It was those droughts, midway through the 2nd half against UNC and late in the 1st against Marquette, that have put UW in a two-game tailspin. The reason for them is simple: no bench. When the starting five (and 6th man Brust) get cold, there is no one able to pick up the slack. This has to change and it has to change quick. Wisconsin has to stop practicing with former players (and thus reducing the time that bench players get in 5-on-5 situations during practice), they have to stop leaving starters in the game during “garbage time”, and they have to commit themselves to finding a bench capable of making plays in big spots. The talent is there. There are guys on that bench plenty capable of hitting a big three, of keeping the opposition in check, of getting the starters some much needed rest. But thus far, the coaching staff doesn’t seem interested. Saturday, the Badgers had all five starters cross the 30 minute mark in playing time, with Brust rounding things off with 28 minutes of his own. Rob Wilson and Frank Kaminsky were the only other Badgers to see the floor, only getting five minutes a piece. That is simply not a winning formula. The season is young and after losing a tough game in Chapel Hill by just three points to a team that is clearly among the top 5 in the nation, the Badgers still have a chance to make some noise on the national stage. But if they want to do so, it will have to be with a bigger rotation than what they have now. As physical as Big Ten play is, there is simply no way that Wisconsin can contend with what amounts to a 6 or 7 man rotation. Excluding UNLV on Saturday, the rest of the Badgers’ non-conference schedule is filled with cupcakes. A road matchup in Milwaukee might be a bit of a challenge but I think it is safe to say that games against UW-Green Bay, and Mississippi Valley State are likely to finish in blowout fashion. Those are the most important games of the season right now. If Wisconsin can use those three games to find a bit of depth, then they still remain capable of competing for a Big Ten title. If they enter conference play with the same rotation they have now, it is going to be a long winter.

Ted Porath: Marquette Up Next

The Wisconsin men's basketball team (6-1 overall) suffered their first blemish on the season Wednesday night in the finale of the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, losing to the No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels 60-57. They now turn their attention to Saturday's matchup with in-state rival Golden Eagles as they welcome No 16. Marquette (6-0) to the Kohl Center. Despite the loss, the Badgers proved that they could hang with and challenge one of the best teams in the country and cemented the fact that they will be a major challenger to current No. 2 Ohio State for the Big Ten title once they hit conference play. A main reason for Wisconsin to feel good about the future prospects of the season was junior center Jared Berggren's play against one of the best front lines in the country on Wednesday night, featuring NBA lottery picks in Tyler Zeller and John Henson. Berggren was a force as the five man, scoring 14 points, hauling in five rebounds and even coming up with three steals. He challenged Zeller and Henson at both ends of the court, playing tough post defense and forcing the two Carolina big men to guard him in the post and on the perimeter. If Berggren is able to continue to build off of the way he played against UNC, he may be able to give Ohio State's Jared Sullinger a run for his money as the best big man in the Big Ten. The main reason for the loss was that the Badgers' reliance on the three-point shot finally came back to bite them. Wisconsin was eight for 28 from behind the arc (28.6 percent), which pales in comparison to the 47 percent shooting from three-point range the Badgers had going into the game. A direct result of the Badgers' reliance on the outside shot was the fact that Wisconsin was only able to get to the foul line six times (making only three), while Carolina was able to get the Badgers into foul trouble in each half, allowing them to shoot 24 free throws (making 19 of them). To become a more complete team on offense, the Badgers must find a way to get more penetration into the lane, which will not only get them more foul shots, but get them wide open three-point shots as well. The main concern for the Badgers against Marquette this weekend, however, will be containing Marquette's stellar offense which comes into this game leading the nation in scoring offense (88 points per game) and field goal percentage (53 percent). The Golden Eagles are led by senior guard Darius Johnson-Odom and senior forward Jae Crowder, who are each averaging over 19 points a game this season. Crowder and Johnson-Odom were instrumental in Marquette's latest win over the Jacksonville State Dolphins, as Crowder scored a career-high 27 points and Johnson-Odom added in 19. This Saturday's matchup will be the 118th between the two teams. Wisconsin currently holds a 64-53 edge in the all-time series and has beaten Marquette in the last two meetings. Read more: http://host.madison.com/daily-cardinal/sports/article_31ea0042-1cac-11e1-87bd-0019bb2963f4.html?sourcetrack=moreArticle#ixzz1fOCQfMCn

Poor Shooting Night Brings Badgers’ Hard Fought Battle With UNC To A Losing Finish

Its often said that there are no moral victories in the sports world but on Wednesday night in Chapel Hill, the Badgers got about as close as one could get to proving that theory wrong. Despite shooting well under 40% from the field, Wisconsin hung with #5 North Carolina in a hostile Smith Center environment, eventually coming out on the losing end, 60-57. The finale of this season’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge (won by the Big Ten for the 3rd straight year) was one of the best games the challenge has seen in some time. “It was hard for us to get a good look. We were trying to make it hard for them to get good looks,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “That was as hard fought a game as I’ve ever been involved in as a coach.” Wisconsin (6-1, 0-0) held North Carolina (6-1, 0-0) in check for most of the game, completely stifling a vaunted North Carolina fast break that only managed two points the entire contest. “You don’t do that to Carolina…” Ryan said. “I thought our guys did a great job of getting back on defense.” “Fantastic college basketball game,” UNC head coach Roy Williams said. “Not the prettiest game at all, ever. Sometimes you need to win like that. Like I told Bo {Ryan} ‘Im glad we don’t play you anymore’.” The Badgers led 36-31 with 12 minutes left and had two possessions to completely silence an already quiet Smith Center crowd. But after failing to capitalize on the opportunity, Tar Heel sophomore forward Harrison Barnes nailed a contested jumper for 3 of his game-high 20 points to put Carolina right back in business. Then UNC headed to the line to throw down the hammer. Senior forward Tyler Zeller hit two free throws to tie the game at 38 with just under 10 minutes to play and sophomore forward Reggie Bullock followed from two of his own from the charity stripe to give the Heels a 40-38 lead, one that they would never look back from. The 18-5 UNC run erased what looked to be a solid Badger lead and put UW in a hole they simply couldn’t recover from. “Shots just weren’t going down…” senior guard Jordan Taylor said. “Some of them were good looks, but you just have to knock them down.” “We’ve had those runs as well,” Ryan added. “They happen in basketball.” Looking back, it is pretty amazing that UW hung as close to Carolina as they did while shooting just 36% from the field and just 8 of 28 from beyond the arc. Add in the fact that UNC went 19 of 24 to UW’s 3 of 6 from the line and you have just about as good a case as any for this being a true moral victory. “We expected to come in and win this…” Taylor said. “Anybody who comes into Carolina, it’s the superbowl for everybody. We wanted to win this game.” Junior forward Jared Berggren, facing perhaps the most talented front line in the nation, had a breakout performance. Although he fouled out in the final minute, Berggren finished with 18 points and 5 rebounds, adding 3 steals on the interior as well. “He’s getting better. He’s a good player and he works hard,” Ryan said of Berggren. “He’s starting to come into his own, its good to see.” The Badgers now head back to Madison to face intra-state rival Marquette, another team with an unblemished record. Although UW certainly wanted this one, home dates with Marquette and UNLV coming up the next two Saturdays give the Badgers a chance to get right back on track. “No coach can stand here and answer a question about what guys learned when it just happened,” Ryan said. “You find out the next game and the next game and the next game.”