Badgers Set To Hit The Road

Although Wisconsin men’s basketball may not have captured the ultimate prize in this past weekend’s Big Ten Tournament, it received quite a consolation prize Sunday night when it was awarded the 4^th seed in the East region of the NCAA Tournament.

Making their 14^th consecutive appearance in the “Big Dance”, the Badgers (25-9) will open tournament play Thursday against 13^th seed Montana (25-6) at “The Pit” in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Saturday’s loss to Michigan State has been described by some as a “throttling”. While that performance seems to have hurt UW’s chances according to the so-called “experts”, the reality is that all 68 teams in the tournament begin the week on a level playing field.

It’s a brand new season starting Monday…” UW sophomore guard Josh Gasser said. “We’ve just got to go into practice and keep getting better.”

Suddenly it seems that one of the keys for the Badgers is the production of senior guard Rob Wilson. Wilson, who came into the Big Ten Tournament averaging just 10.7 minutes and 3.1 points per game, was the story of the day on Friday after he blitzed No. 15 Indiana for 30 points including seven three-pointers. While Michigan State did a good job of limiting Wilson’s looks in Saturday’s semifinal round, it is clear that Wilson’s presence on the court adds a new dimension to the Badger rotation.

The NCAA Tournament is unique in that every team is just six good games from a national title and yet at the same time, just one poor stretch from an early exit. Given the inconsistency of several Badgers’ offensive production, Wilson figures to see a lot more playing time, continuing a trend that began with his 64 minutes over 2 games this weekend.

Will that be the same in the NCAA Tournament?  I don't know,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “But I'm an equal opportunity guy.  If you're getting things done, you get on the floor. And you can stay.”

Having already beaten six NCAA Tournament teams this season, it wouldn’t not be far-fetched to say that UW has a shot at a prolonged run in the tournament. That said, the Badgers would need more consistent efforts from the entire starting five in order to make that dream a reality.

Just look at last season’s Sweet 16 loss to Butler and you should see loud and clear that success in the postseason cannot be left in the hands of one or two primary scorers alone.

“We need {scoring} from everybody,” Ryan added. “And when we get that, we’ve proven 24 times we can get some things done.”

Junior forward Mike Bruesewitz is definitely among those from whom the Badgers are going to need a contribution. In last year’s NCAA Tournament, Bruesewitz was a key contributor, coming off the bench for 8 points and 9 rebounds in the opening round win over Belmont and then knocking down a key three-pointer late against Kansas State. Of late, Bruesewitz has struggled with his shot, missing his late 18 three-point shots dating back to February 9^th. Before then, Bruesewitz was shooting over 30% from the three-point line, a respectable figure especially for a frontcourt player.

While there are some out there who believe Big Sky champion Montana is primed to pull off the upset, UW’s biggest threat in Albuquerque would seem to be 5^th seed Vanderbilt. Loaded with experience, the senior-laden Commodores are playing their best basketball of the season, having beaten Kentucky in the final of the SEC Tournament on Sunday. And while the Dores have on their resume losses to Cleveland State and Indiana State, they also have wins against top-10 teams Kentucky and Marquette.

Looking beyond the task at hand in Albuquerque, Wisconsin would have a 31-2 Syracuse team standing between them and a Final Four. But while this would seem to be an impassible roadblock, the Badgers have already beaten a top-10 team in Ohio State and nearly knocked off another when they traveled to North Carolina back in November. Given the rebounding problems that have plagued the Orange at times this season, it would seem that UW has drawn perhaps the best matchup they could have hoped for amongst the four number one seeds.

“We always have that confidence that we feel like we can play with anyone,” UW junior forward Jared Berggren said. “It doesn’t matter who or where or when, we believe we can beat anyone when we stick to what we do well.”