Badgers STILL Not Playing Wisconsin Basketball

Certainly it was easy to chalk previous losses to Florida and Creighton up to simply being outmatched but tonight's loss at home to Virginia was accompanied by no such excuse. Though there is time to for UW turn the ship around and get to a 15th straight NCAA Tournament, the efforts being put in at this point in time fly in the face of the principles that allowed the Badger program to have such consistent success.

First and foremost, Wisconsin is not getting the job done on the defensive boards. Though there have certainly been a few unfortunate bounces, the frequency and timing of missed boxouts has been deplorable. The Badgers simply cannot afford to rebound the basketball without an intensity they have thus far failed to put on display, especially with the team already suffering on the perimeter from the loss of defensive stalwart Josh Gasser.

So although many have looked at the fact junior guard Ben Brust was leading the Big Ten in rebounding as a welcome sight, or even as a pleasant surprise, the reality is that statistical anomaly is a symptom of the deeper issues this UW team is having right now on the glass. Senior center Jared Berggren had just 2 rebounds against Virginia.

2 rebounds.

And although Brust still averages nearly 8 rebounds per game, Wisconsin as a team has been out rebounded in three of its first seven games, all resulting in a loss.

More importantly, Wisconsin is not getting much of a team effort against their toughest competition. Part of that is obviously the opponent, but the shot selection has done nothing to counter that challenge. In UW's three early season losses, the combination of Brust and senior forward Ryan Evans have taken over 42% of the Badgers' shots. In Wisconsin's four victories, that percentage dips to 37%.

Wisconsin cannot win on the backs of these two players. Unlike last season, UW does not have a "go to guy" and cannot hope to have either Brust or Evans play like one. Jordan Taylor is not coming through the door and Josh Gasser is not going to miraculously recover in time for Big Ten play.

Right now it seems as if this team just hasnt gotten a grasp of the concept that they are going to have to get the job done with the guys they have. Though that is the job of the seniors first and foremost, the coaching staff has not done much to help.

Ryan Evans is 1/13 from 3-point range. How has no one gotten that through to him?

Sam Dekker is the only Badger capable of getting to the basket on his own. He is the only Badger getting to the line and the only Badger right now able to spark a run. Yes, he is still a freshman on the defensive end, but he is far from the only issue for UW right now defensively. How is he only getting 20 minutes a game?

Just as the five on the court seem to be waiting for a ghost from the past to come to their aid, so too does the UW coaching staff. Given the hand the Badgers have been dealt, a few growing pains on the defensive end is more than a worthy sacrifice in the interest of getting a big of energy going on the offensive end.

More important perhaps than anything else is that the seniors need to start playing like seniors. Regardless of who might lead this UW team in the box score, it will have to be, as it always has been, the seniors who lead Wisconsin to a 15th straight tournament appearance.

The leadership has to come both on and off the court. While I cant speak to anything going on away from the Kohl Center, the inconsistency of the three seniors in the front court is paramount among the issues facing UW during this disappointing start. The mental and physical mistakes being made by this group is not setting the example that needs to be set and those same mistakes are being made by the Badger underclassmen, perhaps in no small part as a result of the poor example being set.

I know it is early and I definitely think it is not yet the time to panic. But with this loss to Virginia, it is clear that Wisconsin's poor start is not simply the function of a difficult opening stretch but rather the consequence of a lacking sense of urgency and a clear leadership void. If those issues arent resolved by the time Big Ten play starts in January, Wisconsin is in for a rude awakening.

Badgers Overcome Deficit To Finish Tourney With A Win

After a poor defensive effort Friday night that ended with an 84-74 loss to No.14 Creighton, Wisconsin needed a bounce back effort Saturday against Arkansas to avoid heading into the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in a tailspin. Although the Badgers continued to struggle en route to a 40-29 halftime deficit, they recovered with their best half of basketball thus far this season and left Sin City with a 77-70 victory in the third-place game of the Las Vegas Invitational.

Having struggled mightily against the pressure shown by both Creighton and Florida, UW was in a tough spot facing a Razorback team that played the “fastest 40 minutes” style of their head coach, former Missouri head coach Mike Anderson. With just a day to prepare for the constant pressure Arkansas would show, the Badgers were clearly slow to adjust, committing 8 first-half turnovers that resulted in 13 Razorback points.

But as ugly as the first twenty minutes were for UW, the final twenty were a complete reversal. Sparked by two quick three-pointers that cut the Arkansas lead to just 5 less than two minutes into the half, Wisconsin erased the Razorback lead with a 16-5 run to finally tie the game with 12:18 left.

“We were frustrated at halftime,” Senior forward Mike Bruesewitz said of the locker room atmosphere at halftime. “We knew we could play better. In the second half we took care of the ball better, knocked down shots and played defense. That’s exactly what we needed to do and that’s exactly what we talked about in the locker room.”

One of the Badgers who led the charge was freshman Sam Dekker. Coming into the game averaging 10 points in just over 18 minutes, the Sheboygan native gave Wisconsin 12 big second-half points en route to a career and team-high 19 for the game.

Bruesewitz also played a key role in the turnaround. Despite spending most of the night in foul trouble, the St Paul, Minn native finished with 11 points and 9 rebounds in his best performance since an injury that left him out of practice for most of the preseason.

After UW made its initial run, the lead would change hands a total of 6 times (including ties) before the Badgers finally took control on a three-point play by Dekker off an explosive back cut and a perfect feed from senior center Jared Berggren. When the subsequent free throw was made by the freshman, Wisconsin had a 61-58 lead they would not relinquish over the final 5:56.

“We were hungry,” Bruesewitz added. “We were in the same position last night with six or seven minutes left and didn’t get it done. Tonight we did.”

One of the reasons the Badgers were finally able to close this game out was an improvement at the free throw line. After starting the game 8-for-19 from the charity stripe, UW finished strong by making 17 of their final 19 attempts in the second half.

More importantly, however, UW executed in the second half far better than they had in their previous five periods against major conference opponents.

“There was nothing said in that locker room at halftime that wasn’t said before the game,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “The guys just executed better and stuck to our plan.”

Having successfully avoided the possibility of a losing skid, UW now must turn its attention toward building the type of momentum that only winning can provide. With Virginia and California set to visit the Kohl Center this week and a trip to Marquette just a week later, the Badgers need to continue executing on that game plan in order to build that momentum in one of the toughest stretches of non-conference play Wisconsin has seen in some time. 

-uwbadgers.com contributed to this report

Defense Falters Once Again In Badger Loss

Having seemingly righted the ship after their blowout loss last week against Florida, Wisconsin once again struggled to contain the attack of a ranked opponent, losing 84-74 to No. 14 Creighton in the semifinals of the Las Vegas Invitational.

The Badgers (3-2) were unable to slow down the Creighton attack and All-American Doug McDermott. The Ames, Iowa native dominated the post and finished with a game-high 30 points on 10-of-23 shooting. The production of junior forward Ethan Wragge was perhaps even more of a crushing blow to UW as he added 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting.

Wragge’s two three-point shots combined with four points from McDermott spawned a 20-6 run by the Jays that turned a two-point Wisconsin lead with just under 9 minutes left into a 12 point Creighton advantage inside the two minute mark.

Though the shooting struggles of junior Ben Brust (2-for-12) and sophomore Traevon Jackson (1-for-6) certainly hurt the Badgers’ chances of pulling off the upset, it was the defensive effort that once again paved the way for another Wisconsin defeat. After only allowing 70+ points in a game twice last season (including a 79-71 win over Indiana), UW allowed Creighton to become the 2^nd opponent in the 1^st five games to reach that mark.

The 84 points for the Jays were the most allowed by a Badger team since a 93-65 loss at Ohio State way back on March 6, 2011.

One bright spot for Wisconsin was the play of senior center Jared Berggren. Perhaps motivated by the chance to make a good impression on NBA scouts in Las Vegas to see McDermott, the overlooked Princeton, Minn native finished a career-high 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Though ultimately outscored by the Jays’ star, Berggren certainly made an impression, single handedly taking UW on a 15-5 run midway through the 2^nd half that turned an 8-point deficit into a 60-58 lead as he headed to the bench for a much needed rest.

Unfortunately that lead would be the final Badger lead of the night. Wragge erased it with a 3-point shot with 7:49 left that gave Creighton a 61-60 lead they would never relinquish.

Outside of Berggren, the Badgers’ other experienced contributors had a tough night. Senior forward Mike Bruesewitz was in foul trouble practically from the opening tip and would finish with just 2 points and 4 rebounds in 26 minutes prior to fouling out with just over 3 minutes left.

Fellow senior Ryan Evans had another up-and-down night. While the Phoenix native finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds, his shot selection was poor on several occasions and he was unable to run down several crucial loose balls.

Brust also struggled in another game against a ranked foe. After two consecutive double-double efforts, the Hawthorn Woods, Ill native finished with just 4 points and 7 rebounds and was 0-for-5 from 3-point range before fouling out in the final minute of play.

In the end, Wisconsin’s inability to hold Creighton to one shot per possession was a difference maker. Though the final run by the Jays was primarily on first-shot opportunities, the Badgers were only kept from a large lead by 15 2^nd chance points from the Jays (IN THE FIRST HALF ALONE?). Add to that a plus-10 advantage at the free throw line and Creighton had itself a formula for victory.

Wisconsin now turns its attention to the third place game Saturday against Arkansas. The Razorbacks are coming off an 83-68 loss to Arizona State in the semifinal round and are now 3-1 on the young season. Led by sophomore guard BJ Young, who had 29 points in Friday’s loss, Arkansas gives the Badgers yet another chance to notch a victory over a major conference foe in a non-conference slate featuring three more such opportunities.

Badgers Face Stiff Test In Sin City

Coming off an 88-43 win Tuesday over Presbyterian College, No. 24 Wisconsin now heads to Las Vegas for the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational and a Friday night matchup with No. 12 Creighton.

All-American junior forward Doug McDermott, who averaged 22.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while leading Creighton to a 29-6 mark last season, leads the Blue Jays (4-0) into the season with high expectations. The son of head coach Greg, McDermott’s 1,382 points coming into this season were the most by any incoming junior since Davidson’s Stephen Curry in 2008. During the season’s first four games, the Ames, Iowa native has averaged 16.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting over 56% from the field.

Unlike past years, however, the Badgers (3-1) head into this tournament matchup with one test already under their belt in last Wednesday’s defeat at the hands of No. 10 Florida. Having already been given that necessary early season wakeup call, UW is now ready to compete.

Perimeter defense had always been a strength for this Badger program, but against Florida it was a glaring weakness. The Gator guards were able to penetrate with ease, ultimately opening up the floor enough to allow UF to score 74 points on a defense that led the nation last season in allowing just 53.2 points per game. If Wisconsin hopes to knock off Creighton and then to knock off the winner of the tournament’s other semifinal matchup (Arizona State and Arkansas), they will need to improve defending penetration.

One bright spot for UW early on has been the aggressive play of junior guard Ben Brust. After averaging just 7.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game in just over 21 minutes per game last season, the Hawthorn Woods, Illinois native has already notched three double-doubles in the first four games, averaging 14.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the early going.

Brust leads three Badgers averaging double figures so far this season, joined by senior forward Jared Berggren and freshman forward Sam Dekker. Dekker, who had 16 points in just 15 minutes of action Tuesday night, has continued to improve as he gets more comfortable coming off the bench.

Regardless of outcome, Wisconsin has certainly answered calls from its fan base and from critics of the program to beef up what has over the past few years been a fairly weak non-conference schedule. Other than the ACC/Big Ten Challenge game against North Carolina, Wisconsin’s only major conference foe last season was in-state rival Marquette.

This season, the Badgers will face two top-12 teams in their first 9 games, with additional games against Arkansas/ASU, Virginia, California, and Marquette to follow. If the Badgers can survive that non-conference lineup unscathed, they will be more than ready for the grueling Big Ten slate that lies ahead.

But right now, the focus is on the task at hand and that task is getting a win over Creighton. Despite the obvious temptation to look forward that any tournament will have, the Badgers are fully aware they must focus on one game at a time.

Badgers Get Back on Track With Home Victory

Looking to rebound from a poor effort at Florida, No. 20/22 Wisconsin (2-1) responded Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center with a 73-40 victory over Cornell (1-3) in the first of two regional round games in the Las Vegas Invitational.

Just a few days removed from finding themselves down 9-0 minutes into the game against the Gators, the Badgers avoided a similar deficit against the Big Red. After allowing a Cornell basket on the opening possession, UW responded with a 14-0 run over the next 7:27 that effectively ended any chance of a second straight defeat.

Facing questions about their depth in the face of the season-ending knee injury to projected starting point guard Josh Gasser, the Badgers had arguably their most balanced effort in the past two years as three players reached double figures and a full six had at least six points.

Not one but two Badgers finished the evening with a double-double. Junior guard Ben Brust was the first to reach that mark, finishing with a team-high (along with senior forward Jared Berggren) 18 points and 12 rebounds on 6-of-13 shooting.

“He has a nose for the ball…” UW head coach Bo Ryan said of Brust. “He is just a gamer. He goes all-out.”

Senior forward Ryan Evans had his 3^rd career double-double, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds despite a shaky first half effort that resulted in just 2 points and 3 rebounds and only 11 minutes of court time.

“He is definitely capable,” Brust said. “It was good to see him get his confidence up. Knock down some shots, finish {around the basket} and pick up some boards.”

Wisconsin imposed its will on the outmatched Cornell team all night, forcing 18 turnovers and holding the Big Red to just 26% shooting.

“They are a heck of a defensive ball club…” Cornell head coach Bill Courtney said after the game. “They don’t let you get anything near the basket.”

Freshman Sam Dekker once again proved a spark off the bench for UW. The Sheboygan native finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds, highlighted by a steal that resulted in a one-hand dunk right in front of the Grateful Red.

“I’ve just accepted my role more,” Dekker said. “And I am getting more comfortable coming off the bench.”

Though Dekker was a highly touted recruit, any freshman at Wisconsin is forced to go through a learning process, with some able to move along faster than others. With three solid performances under his belt, Dekker seems comfortable enough to move along even at this early stage in his college career.

“The question you should be asking is whether I feel comfortable with him,” Ryan said. “He’s got things to learn{…} but its early.”

Though Sunday’s win was a much-needed bounce back for the Badgers, reoccurring issues remain on both ends of the floor. Wisconsin turned the ball over 16 times against Cornell’s occasional run-and-jump while allowing a much smaller Big Red team to grab 11 offensive rebounds.

Those turnovers snapped a span of 69 consecutive games in which UW turned the ball over fewer than 14 teams and were the highest total since the Badgers turned it over 18 times in an overtime loss to UW-Green Bay in 2009.

“It’s a good thing that it happened early,” Brust said. “We have time to clean it up before we face some long athletic teams.”

But ahead of a difficult week of non-conference play, Sunday’s win was a positive improvement over the loss to Florida.

“This was the next 40 minutes,” Ryan said. “35 of it was pretty good but there were 5 or 6 minutes in there we think we can change.”

With another ranked opponent in Creighton waiting just a few days away, the Badgers have one more opportunity to improve when they take on Presbyterian Tuesday night at the Kohl Center.

Slow Starts and Poor Defense Hurt Badgers In Road Loss

Facing their first real test of the young season, No. 20/22 Wisconsin came out slow and never gained much speed, turning a quick 9-0 deficit into a 74-56 loss to No. 10 Florida in Gainesville.

While the Badgers (1-1) did eventually pull within two points midway through the first half, the Gators (2-0) never slowed down, putting up 43 points in the first half on an astounding 18-of-24 shooting. Florida senior forward Erik Murphy led the charge, making all 10 of his shots en route to a career-high 24 points to go along with 8 rebounds.

Having to play their first ranked opponent since the season-ending injury to projected starting guard Josh Gasser, the Badgers seemed unable to stop penetration by the Gator guards. Though star guard Kenny Boynton had an up-and-down night, senior guard Mike Rosario seemed to be getting to the basket every possession. The Jersey City, NJ native finished with 15 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds while playing the point most of the night.

“When they got chances,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said after the game. “They didn’t miss.”

Despite returning all three starters in the frontcourt, UW was manhandled on the rebounding front as well. While the raw numbers were impacted somewhat by the disparity in shooting, Wisconsin consistently allowed the Gators to get second-chance looks, ultimately getting outrebounded 40-21 and allowing Florida to capitalize with 12 2^nd chance points off 9 offensive rebounds.

For a team that led the nation last year in scoring defense (53.2 PPG), the effort on the defensive end was worrisome to say the least. Though many have focused on replacing Gasser’s scoring, the real impact of the injury is already being felt on the defensive end. Without arguably the best perimeter defender in the country (sorry, Aaron Craft is too handsy), the Badgers are forced to slide either freshman George Marshall or junior Ben Brust into the top defender spot, a position that neither appear ready to take hold of at the moment.

“We got away from our defensive scouting report,” UW senior forward Jared Berggren said. “We don’t have excuses but it comes down to being more disciplined.”

Last season, only two teams were able to break the 70-point mark against the Badgers, one of those being in a UW victory over Indiana in the Big Ten tournament. The Gators broke that mark with ease on Wednesday night, never allowing Wisconsin to even sniff the lead after that initial first half run.

Although UW doesn’t figure to see much more of it, the 2-3 zone employed by Florida forced the Badgers to settle for long jumpers, jumpers that just weren’t going down on Wednesday. After having handled a similar scheme in last season’s NCAA Tournament defeat at the hands of top-seeded Syracuse, UW took a step backward in Gainesville. The Badgers shot just over 35% from the field (21-of-59) and were just 7-of-24 (29.2%) from beyond the arc. By forcing 20 Gator turnovers, UW was able to take 17 more shots than Florida but failed to capitalize, making 5 less at the end of the day.

If there was a bright spot in the otherwise tough night, it was freshman Sam Dekker. The highly touted wing out of Sheboygan Lutheran gave the Badgers some much-needed offensive production off the bench, finishing with 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists on 4-of-8 shooting. Facing his first ranked opponent, it was clear that Dekker wasn’t afraid to be aggressive on the offensive end.

“I like what he and (freshman guard Zak) Showalter did,” Ryan said. “He played hard and with enthusiasm.”

Having gotten their wakeup call, the Badgers now must respond when they face Cornell at the Kohl Center on Sunday, kicking off the “regional” rounds of the Las Vegas Invitational.

With just over a week until UW faces its next ranked opponent (Creighton), the Badgers’ next two games will be crucial in getting the train back on the tracks and avoiding an early season skid.

“We have to compartmentalize this game,” UW senior forward Mike Bruesewitz said. “Take it as a loss. Learn from it, correct things and move on.”

UW Athletic Communications and @badgermbb contributed to this report