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.
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