Badgers Not Doing The Little Things

Whether you are a Wisconsin fan or simply a fan of the game, Tuesday night’s 49-47 Badger loss to Michigan State was about as frustrating as it gets. The game slugged along with neither team hitting the 40% mark from the field and a combined six points being scored over the final 6:56.

By every account, Wisconsin should have come away with a victory. Despite shooting just 29.6% from the field, the Badgers had every opportunity to scratch out a win until missing their final five free throws in the closing minutes. Yes, UW scored just four points in the final 7:37 of the game, three on a miracle three-point shot by none other than forward Ryan Evans, and still had a chance to send the game to overtime with two free throws in the final seconds.

“Its cost us the game before and obviously it cost us the game tonight,” senior forward Mike Bruesewitz said of the free throw shooting. “We’ve got to get in the gym and start knocking them done, plain and simple. It can’t be an excuse anymore.”

Tuesday night was textbook Wisconsin basketball and the Badgers still couldn’t come away with the win.

That is why Tuesday night’s loss to Big Ten-leading Michigan State is even more worrisome than Saturday’s “upset” loss in Iowa City. Iowa has always been a difficult matchup for the Badgers and the Hawkeyes were able to dictate the pace throughout a blistering first half run that gave them an insurmountable 20-point cushion before UW could even blink.

On the other hand, the Spartans are a team Wisconsin can handle. Having successfully neutralized Michigan State’s strong front court duo of Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix (4 points, 8 rebounds combined), UW put the game on the shoulders of the sometimes-inconsistent MSU guards. Though Keith Appling and Branden Dawson each crept close to the 20-point mark, even the 37 points that duo was able to notch only left the Spartans with 49 points on the night.

Wisconsin was 78-2 under Bo Ryan when holding opponents under 50 points, so you had to like the Badgers’ chances given that effort on the defensive end. But Michigan State also had those statistics in front of them and paid no attention, instead choosing to accept they were going to be in for a rough game and to embrace it, something many teams struggle with when playing Bo Ryan’s Badgers.

“I think some teams make a mistake by trying to make Wisconsin turn up the speed of things,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. “They don’t turn it over, I don’t care who they are playing. So we said we need to make sure we play a little like them in that respect.”

Though UW has shorn up its defense to this point in the season, this remains a formula that will get the Badgers beat in conference play. No longer blessed with a talented point guard the likes of Jordan Taylor to create penetration, Wisconsin is going to be largely at the whim of its sometimes inconsistent outside shooting. That is a given and no matter what Ryan and his staff try to do, they will have a tough time scoring when the shots aren’t falling.

But more importantly, Wisconsin has to do the little things well. Michigan State beat them in this respect Tuesday night, something very few teams have been able to do during Bo Ryan’s decade at the helm of the UW program.

The Spartans did turn the ball over ten times, but UW turned it over nine times themselves, with each team capitalizing on those turnovers to the tune of nine points. Wisconsin needs to have an advantage in that regard in order to win. MSU dominated in the paint, outscoring Wisconsin 20-10 despite the poor effort from their vaunted front line.

But above all, Michigan State shot 75% from the line, making 9 of 12 chances at the charity stripe. Wisconsin was just 7-for-18 at the line, including a dismal 5-for-13 effort in the 2^nd half.

These are the little things that used to put UW teams over the top, allowing Wisconsin to compete at the highest level against teams with a distinct talent advantage. Say what you want about the guard play and the loss of leaders like Taylor and injured guard Josh Gasser, these little errors are really what have put the Badgers in such a precarious situation.

But in the absence of Taylor, perhaps Wisconsin needs a change in mentality. The back court resources available to UW do not include anyone with the experience of a player like Taylor but perhaps include one player with even more pure talent and certainly more athleticism.

Redshirt freshman George Marshall has had an up-and-down season after being named the starting point guard in Gasser’s absence. Thanks to some early struggles, not surprising for a freshman, Marshall was replaced in the starting lineup by sophomore Traevon Jackson after just six games.

Since the change was made, Marshall has seen his minutes drop dramatically and his “leash” shortened infinitely, to the point where even a single off-the-mark pass can mean an immediate and often prolonged benching. On the other hand, Jackson has been given the reigns and has been provided with a far more consistent opportunity to play through his mistakes. During the Badgers’ two-game slide, Jackson is just 3-for-19 from the field with four assists and three turnovers (I would add at least two more according to my scoring).

Yet despite his struggles Jackson has continued to stay on the court. Against Iowa he fouled out in 31 minutes of play and against MSU he was pulled with four fouls in 28 minutes. By contrast, Marshall, who scored a game-high 20 points in the 2^nd half against Iowa, has tallied just 32 minutes in the two games combined.

Both Jackson and Marshall are going to have to contribute in order for Wisconsin to make its 15^th straight NCAA Tournament appearance. In the process, both Jackson and Marshall are going to have their ups and downs, a product simply of their inexperience at the college level.

But in the end, Marshall’s athleticism and pure talent as a guard and simply as a basketball player make him the man who will be of the most help for UW long-term. Even now, Marshall has the ability to take over a game, evidenced by his performance in Iowa City, that Jackson simply doesn’t have.

For Wisconsin to get back to the top of the Big Ten ranks, Marshall is going to have to be leading the charge. Doing the little things will only get the Badgers so far, likely back to the NCAA Tournament. But if this program is to take the next step, it has to prove it can utilize talents like Marshall. He is going to make mistakes in the process but if he can make two plays for every one of those mistakes, a ratio he is more than capable of sustaining, Wisconsin will be better off both in the short-term and even more so going forward into next season and beyond.

Indiana Visits The Kohl Center With Badgers Heading Home Hot

It didn’t appear likely a few weeks ago, but Wisconsin men’s basketball returns home for its first post-break game on a four-game winning streak and just a half game out of the Big Ten lead. While it was certainly a welcome sight Sunday when the Badgers (5-3 Big Ten, 16-5 Overall) beat Illinois for their first road win over a ranked opponent since 2008, Thursday’s return to the Kohl Center is no pushover as No. 16/17 Indiana (4-4 Big Ten, 16-4 Overall) looks to hand UW its 4^th home loss for the first time since the 1995-1996 season.

Although the Hoosiers came into the season unranked, their return to national prominence after a three-year drought didn’t come as much of a surprise those who had seen them both on the court and in the recruiting world.

“They had a lot of talent returning…” sophomore guard Josh Gasser said of Indiana. “{Indiana freshman forward Cody} Zeller is a guy that came in and really boosted them over the top.”

While Zeller has come in and immediately made an impact, averaging a team-high 15.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, it has been the three-point shooting of the Hoosiers that has led them to victories over No.1 Kentucky and No. 2 Ohio State.  Indiana comes into Thursday shooting a Big Ten-best 44.9% from three-point range, bested on the national level only by Creighton’s 45.1% pace. But with the Badgers holding their opponents to a NCAA-best 35.9% from the field, something has to give.

“They have multiple guys who can shoot it, from their bigs to their guards…” Gasser said. “We just have to play to out strengths and keep them out of a rhythm.”

Although seemingly unable to find the bottom of the basket at times, Wisconsin has more than held its own from beyond the arc as well. In 21 games this season, UW has shot 37.5% from three-point range, 3^rd in the Big Ten.

Perhaps more importantly, the Badgers are a perfect 14-0 this season when shooting a better percentage from the field than their opponent, something they will no doubt look to do against Indiana. For UW head coach Bo Ryan, accomplishing that goal is just as much about defensive execution as it is about knocking down shots.

“If you are doing the best you can on {the defensive} end and you are trying to fight through slumps {offensively},” Ryan said. “Then you have a chance.”

One thing that is undeniable is the importance of knocking down free throws. Just one year after nearing setting an NCAA record last season by shooting free throws at an 81.8% clip, the Badgers have struggled mightily by their high standards. Yet, even after shooting just 60.9% over the first seven games of the season and starting Sunday’s win by missing seven of its first nine attempts, UW has managed remain over the 70% mark from the charity stripe. More importantly, Wisconsin has made free throws consistently down the stretch, icing close games at the line in Champaign as well as in West Lafayette. In fact, during the final five minutes of Big Ten games, the Badgers are shooting 78% at the line.

“We have to get back on the free throw line and be confident,” junior forward Mike Bruesewitz said. “We still shoot the ball pretty well there but its not as good as it was last year.”

Despite some bad history for IU basketball at the Kohl Center, there is no doubt that the Hoosiers have made it back to the top.

“Its good for college basketball…” Bruesewitz said. “They’ve knocked off the number one and number two teams in the country and that’s just good for the game in general.” 

But while they are much improved this season, Indiana has yet to put up a marquee road victory, something they are no doubt hoping to change on Thursday night. But in order to leave Madison with a win, the Hoosiers will have to reverse a lot of bad history on their side when it comes to playing at the Kohl Center. Since the Badgers moved to the corner of Dayton and Frances, IU has won just one game on UW turf and hasn’t left victorious with Bo Ryan at the helm for Wisconsin. The Hoosiers have struggled in general against UW of late, losing eight straight to the Badgers with the last IU victory coming in Bloomington back in 2007. That eight-game winning streak for Wisconsin over Indiana is the longest streak by a single team against the Hoosiers since Purdue capped off a nine-game run in 1935.

Finally hitting their stride as a team, it doesn’t seem that this Badger team is ready to bring that streak to an end just yet. Tipoff is at 8pm at the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin In Full Tail Spin After Loss At Michigan

Its official. Wisconsin men's basketball is in a full-fledged tailspin after dropping a 3rd consecutive game in a 59-41 loss at Michigan (3-1 Big Ten, 13-3 Overall) on Sunday. Beginning with a shocking defeat last Saturday at home against Iowa, the Badgers (1-3 Big Ten, 12-5 Overall) have dropping to 1-3 in Big Ten play for the first time under head coach Bo Ryan. After a promising 6-0 start to the season, UW is now facing the prospect of missing their first NCAA Tournament in 14 years. 

Once again, Wisconsin could not find the bottom of the basket. While the Badgers did manage to find open looks throughout the first half, they only managed a dismal 30.8% from the field en route to a seemingly insurmountable 25-to-19 deficit at the half. At the break, it was sophomore guard Josh Gasser and senior guard Jordan Taylor leading the way with four, yes, four points for the Badgers. 

After failing to score during the first four minutes plus in the opening half, UW managing to pull off that feat again in the second half, falling behind 32-19 before a three-point basket by junior forward Mike Bruesewitz at the 15 minute mark. By then, Michigan had the game well in hand and would not lead by less than nine the rest of the way. With the Badgers finishing just 31% from the field, a late comeback was never in the works.

UW head coach Bo Ryan did try to light a fire under his disheveled bunch midway through the second half by extending the rotation to 9 with the addition of freshmen Traevon Jackson and Frank Kaminsky to the group on the floor, but it was way too little and way too late. Kaminsky gave UW a few solid offensive rebounds and Jackson was able to knock down a nice three-pointer, but as soon as they gave Wisconsin a flash of life, Jackson turned the ball over and found his time on the floor brought to a quick end for the time being. 

While Badger fans by now are accustomed to Wisconsin's struggles shooting the ball, what truly doomed the Badgers on Sunday was a lack of hustle. Michigan finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds (leading to 13 second chance points), out rebounding UW 34-27 overall en route to their first victory over the Badgers in ten tries. Wisconsin turned the ball over a very un-Badger-like 12 times (leading to 16 points off turnovers) while posting just 6 assists. Taylor looked especially off-kilter at times, finishing the afternoon with only one assist to three turnovers, the second straight game Taylor has managed just one dime. 

Unlike a few of Wisconsin's previous four defeats, Sunday's loss truly had no silver lining. The help defense was poor (Michigan's shooting was very poor, but not as a result of not getting good shots), the ball control was shaky, the shooting was abysmal, and the intensity didn’t seem to have been brought along on the team charter. 

But while Wisconsin is in serious trouble as they head to West Lafayette Thursday to try avoiding a four-game slide, they remain alive in the highly competitive Big Ten. With the conference likely to get 8-9 tournament bids, the Badgers simply need to stem the tide in order to get themselves into the Big Dance for a 14th consecutive season. With the game at Purdue marking the beginning of a four-game stretch against unranked opponents, Wisconsin is in position to quickly climb back into the race before facing Indiana at the Kohl Center on January 26th in the first game after the start of the spring semester. 

Perhaps the best attribute of last year's Sweet 16 team was their ability to bounce back. Despite a litany of poor performances, UW never lost consecutive games, bouncing back each and every time with solid victories and avoiding the kind of tailspin in which the Badgers now find themselves. Wisconsin has not won in West Lafayette since January 5, 2005, a span of five consecutive defeats at the hands of the Boilermakers. Now faced with the prospect of a disastrous 1-4 start in conference play, UW seems to be at the precipice of their season, needing a win here and now to stem the losing tide and get back on the right track.

Throughout the non-conference season, Wisconsin won with an air of confidence not often seen in Madison, even during the Bo Ryan years during which winning has been a way of life. But ever since the home loss to in-state rival Marquette, and especially since the shocking defeat in the conference home opener against Iowa, the Badgers have played in a manner that can only be described as tentative. Even that description is likely an understatement. 

The Badgers need to get their “swagger” back and a victory at Purdue is the perfect opportunity to do just that. But in the meantime, Wisconsin has some serious personnel issues to work out. As I have mentioned on more than a few occasions, the Badgers did not do enough to build depth while blowing out the likes of Mississippi Valley State, Wofford, and Kennesaw State in the non-conference season. They left starters in the game while leading by upwards of 40 points late in the second half and did very little to expose some of the “scout team” players to game action. As a result, Wisconsin has been forced to go just seven men deep for the majority of the Big Ten season, finally stretching that out to nine with Jackson and Kaminsky entering the game late in Ann Arbor. Still, Taylor was forced into playing 39 minutes against Michigan, that heavy workload coming on the heels of consecutive 40-minute games at home against Iowa and Michigan State.

The Badgers are getting fatigued and it is showing on both ends of the floor. While they continue to hold opposing offenses largely in check, the Badgers’ help defense has shown marked decline during the 3-game slide, the split second delay turning would-be blocks into shooting fouls.

More importantly, the fatigue factor is causing the Badgers to continue missing shots. Apparent in the loss at Michigan was the lack of lower body involved in the admittedly open looks taken by several UW players. Whether from three-point range, 17-feet, or from the free-throw line, UW shots are coming in short and flat, a sure sign of fatigued legs.

With freshman George Marshall and Jarrod Uthoff both redshirting, UW is going to have to face depth issues no matter what. But even without those two potential contributors, Wisconsin has guys on the bench capable of providing the necessary spark. Two of those guys are Kaminsky and Jackson, both of whom need to see more time on the floor to get comfortable and play with confidence.

Beyond those two, Wisconsin has potential offensive firepower in the arsenal from sophomore forward Duje Dukan. Not yet given a consistent chance to prove himself on the floor, the 6’8” Dukan has the ability to give the Badgers an offensive presence both on the inside and outside. While he continues to be somewhat of a defensive liability, the offensive struggles UW is currently facing more than justifies giving Dukan at least a chance to light a fire under the Badger offensive attack.

At this point in the season, it is simply not enough to say that uncertainty justifies not using a potential scorer off the bench. Between Jackson, Kaminsky, Dukan, and even redshirt-freshman forward Evan Anderson, Wisconsin has bullets in the gun and has to take a chance by using them.

If the Badgers don’t try shaking things up now, it may soon be too late to matter.