Wisconsin Escapes Iowa City OT Thriller

Sam Sussman-
Madison, along with the rest of the country, is buzzing about the Badgers' showdown this Sunday with No. 1 Ohio State to keep Wisconsin's Big Ten title hopes alive. Before that, however, the Badger men's basketball team (8-3 Big Ten, 18-5 overall) first had to win on the road Wednesday against Iowa.
Thanks to junior guard Jordan Taylor's clutch heroics, Wisconsin defeated a spirited Hawkeyes sqaud (3-9, 10-14) squad 62-59 in overtime. Although Iowa sits tied for last place in the Big Ten, they came into Wednesday's game with back-to-back wins against Michigan State and Indiana, earning consecutive Big Ten wins for the first time since 2007.
The head-to-head record coming into Wednesday's matchup was an even 76-76 between Wisconsin and Iowa, following last year's 27-point Badger domination at the Kohl Center. However, the two teams' previous meeting resulted in an overtime win for the Hawkeyes
Wisconsin escaped with an overtime win Wednesday, and there was never a relaxed moment. The contest was a defensive stalemate from the opening tip, with physical play from Iowa junior forward Jarryd Cole and freshman forward Melsahn Basabe.
"They were doing all the right things, taking away some cuts, doing what they needed to be doing," Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. "It was very difficult to get a good look at the basket."
The combination of Iowa's stifling defense, which forced six turnovers and had four blocks, and the Badgers' ice cold offensive performance led to Iowa's 23-18 halftime lead.
In the second half, the tide turned and the Badgers showed why they are a Top 15 team. Wisconsin, who has the fewest turnovers per game in the nation, gave the ball away only two times in the second half. The Badgers' shooting percentage skyrocketed as well, from 18 percent in the first half to 51 percent in the second.
"For the most part, if you're confident in your shot, it's a good shot," Taylor said.
Taylor totaled 16 points and eight assists and senior forward Jon Leuer amassed 19 points 15 boards.
After a seesaw game all night, the Badgers found themselves down two points with less than 40 seconds remaining in regulation.
As a freshman playing at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 2009, Taylor nailed his first career three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Two years later, he knocked down a step back jumper to tie the game at 53 with 28 seconds left.
"He absorbs it, he makes the calls in the huddles, on the dead balls, and he makes the call coming out of the timeouts," Ryan said. "He's just a leader, and he is getting better."
After junior Iowa guard Bryce Cartwright, this season's Big Ten assist leader, missed a three at the end of regulation, the Badgers and Hawkeyes were forced to settle the score with five more minutes on the floor.
The overtime period started with a Taylor three-pointer and was sealed when freshman guard Josh Gasser jumped on a loose ball and called timeout with 8.7 seconds remaining.
"There are going to be nights when shots aren't going down and offensively it's going to be tough, but we always control how hard we work on defense," Leuer said.

Taylor Leads the Charge in Statement Win over Spartans

Looking for revenge after a tough overtime loss last month in East Lansing, the Badgers certainly did their best to make amends as they pulled away to an 82-56 win Sunday at the Kohl Center.

Michigan State (13-10, 5-6) never led in this one, trailing the entire way in after the first of 3 three-point shots went down for senior forward Keaton Nankivil, giving the Badgers a 5-2 lead less the two minutes in.

Though Nankivil finished with 11 big points for Wisconsin (17-5, 7-3), this one was all about junior guard Jordan Taylor. Finally getting consideration as one of the nation’s top players, Taylor took advantage of having the national spotlight shining down on him as he posted a career-high 30 points to go along with 6 assists to just one turnover.

“I know he’s improved his game, but today was at another level…” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said. “I think he played like one of the best guards in the country, not in the Big Ten, today.”

After missing three of his first four field goal attempts, the Cousy Award finalist knocked down 8 of his final 9 shots, finishing 9/13 from the field including 3 of 4 from downtown.

“I’ve got confidence in my teammates and they’ve got confidence in me…” Taylor said. “If you’re confident in it, it should be a good shot.”

With Michigan State trailing just 10-9 seven minutes in, a Tim Jarmusz three-pointer seemed to be the early dagger in the heart of the Spartans, marking the start of a 14-2 Badger run that put this one to bed.

While Taylor and senior forward Jon Leuer (20 points, 6 rebounds) accounted for 50 of UW’s 82 points, the offensive production was spread around. All 5 Badger starters finished with at least 5 points, with 3 posting double digits as the team shot a collective 59% from the field.

“We made some tough shots today,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “Michigan State was guarding the heck out of us.”

“If they shoot like that, they’ll win the national championship,” Izzo added. “They’ve got some depth and a guard who’s playing as well as anyone in the country.”

Now losers of 4 of 5, the Spartans are on the brink of seeing a once-promising season head down a slippery slope that could spell the end of their 13-year NCAA tournament streak, the longest in the Big Ten and third longest in the nation.

Meanwhile, the Badgers have officially gotten itself back into the national conversation and have even reclaimed an outside chance at a Big Ten title.

“Since that Michigan State loss (on January 11), we’ve taken it upon ourselves to create an identity…” Nankivil said. “I think in the games we’ve had since then, for the most part, we’ve done a better job of playing the way we want to play and the way we play best.”

With undefeated and #1 Ohio State set to visit the Kohl Center on Saturday, the Badgers have to focus on getting a road win against an improved Iowa team on Wednesday in a game that screams of trap game. But if today’s performance is any indication, this is a team focused squarely at the task at hand.

Wisconsin To Duel With Michigan State in Kohl Center Rematch

Sam Sussman-
After a heartbreaking overtime loss in East Lansing earlier this season, the Badgers seek revenge when the Michigan State Spartans invade the Kohl Center this Sunday.
"We've usually given ourselves a chance to win by making the other team play from behind," Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said.
Ryan's defensive-minded philosophy to play from ahead creates a Wisconsin team that is nearly unbeatable at home. Ryan boasts a 147-11 home record, including a 74-6 record against in-conference foes, during his time as Wisconsin's head coach. This year, the Badgers have only added to Ryan's success at the Kohl Center, winning all 15 of their home games.
"Any time you have 17,000-plus cheering for you, it's going to give you an extra boost of energy," senior forward Tim Jarmusz said. "You feel more comfortable because you know the atmosphere."
The home-court advantage was certainly on display Tuesday night when Wisconsin defeated over No. 10 Purdue. Coming off a close loss at Penn State, the Badgers needed the Kohl Center crowd to claim a 66-59 victory over the Boilermakers. Senior forward Jon Leuer tallied game-highs with 24 points and 13 rebounds, junior guard Jordan Taylor added 15 points and sophomore forward Ryan Evans finished off Purdue with a few clutch plays in the final minute.
A quintessential Wisconsin first half had the Badgers entering the locker room with a 27-19 advantage. However, the Boilermakers would not go away; Purdue racked up 40 points in the second half against the Badgers' top ranked Big Ten defense and even claimed a seven-point lead with 11:37 left in the game. Then, the home-court took over.
"You need to be able to play the last couple minutes of the game," Purdue head coach Matt Painter said.
This season's initial matchup between the Badgers and the Spartans was eerily similar to Wisconsin's most recent test with Purdue. The only differences were the Badgers were the road team and, more importantly, that Michigan State came to play down the stretch.
The Badgers opened up a 19-7 lead nearly a month ago in East Lansing. Over the remainder of the game, the Badgers lost their composure, turning the ball over a season-high 11 times and allowing Michigan State to end regulation on a 9-0 run.
Do not expect many similarities in Sunday's rematch. Both the Badgers and the Spartans are entirely different teams. The Spartans were a Big Ten frontrunner with a 3-1 conference record; now they are fighting to make the tournament and playing without suspended junior guard and team assist-leader Korie Lucious.
The Badgers were fighting for nationwide recognition; now they are a legitimate top-20 team coming off of four wins in their past five games. Contrastingly, Michigan State has lost four of their last five games, including Wednesday's 20-point shellacking to Big Ten bottom feeder, Iowa.
While the script may be different heading into Sunday's rematch, the end goal remains the same.
"Whether you're on the road or at home, a win is a win and a loss is a loss," Taylor said.

Badgers Rebound From Loss, Take Down Purdue

Jeremy Wodajo-


For the 19th consecutive time, the Wisconsin men's basketball team followed a loss with a victory. Tuesday night that victory came at the hands of No.10 Purdue (7-3 Big Ten, 18-5 overall) as UW (6-3, 16-5) took down the Boilermakers 66-59.

It has become a regular occurrence for the Badgers to bounce back after a defeat— they haven't lost two consecutive games since Jan. 2009— but Tuesday night's game-changer was far from predictable.
Sophomore forward Ryan Evans arguably played his best game in a Badger uniform, dropping 10 points in 19 minutes, and bringing the Kohl Center faithful to their feet with a number of thunderous dunks.

"We've been talking all year long about how we got guys on this team that people probably are not going to think twice about just because they might not be the big names," junior guard Jordan Taylor said. "And Ryan, we've been saying what he could give to this team all year long and this was just a little show tonight."

The Badgers used a decent shooting display and some great inside scoring in the first half to take an eight point lead into the intermission.

Following halftime, the Boilermakers came out firing on all cylinders, connecting on 13 of their first 14 shots, and were able to take the lead 43-39, with 12:14 left in the second half. Purdue's JaJuan Johnson led the charge scoring 10 of his team-high 23 points in the six minutes following halftime.

"I didn't think we did a very good job [of defending Johnson] in the second half and we're going to take a look at why," head coach Bo Ryan said. "This is a forty-minute game and we need to be better."

UW was able to recover in the second half partly due to the efficient play of senior forward Jon Leuer. After a quick turnover early in the second half, Leuer knocked down his first four shots and kept it close despite the push the Boilermakers were making. Leuer, who finished with a game-high 24 points, shot 8-of-18 from the field for the game and converted all six of his free throw attempts.

"He could have taken better care of the ball ... but he found some areas to get angles and finished around the basket," Ryan said.

Taylor was able to contribute again Tuesday night, putting up 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 38 crucial minutes. He also did nothing to hurt his nation-best 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio by dishing out five assists, while only committing two turnovers.

Although Taylor and Leuer have garnered most of the national attention, Taylor is quick to praise his teammates and the fans for the success they saw against a stubborn Purdue squad.

"The crowd was unbelievable tonight—anytime you have a tough opponent like that you will take any advantage you can get," Taylor said. "It was just a complete team effort."

UW Trying to Bounce Back Against Purdue

Tuesday marks the beginning of pivotal stretch for No.18 Wisconsin (5-3 Big Ten, 15-5 Overall) as No.10 Purdue (7-2, 18-4) visits the Kohl Center with the Badgers trying desperately to put Saturday's disappointing loss at Penn State behind them.
Despite losing senior forward and First Team All-Big Ten selection Robbie Hummel to a torn ACL in their first practice, the Boilermakers still have one of the most talented rosters in the conference and could very well be the most difficult home test for UW thus far this season.
"They play good defense [and] they've got two first team All-American guys," head coach Bo Ryan said. "So they're a good team, they've got a lot going for them."
In order for Wisconsin to avoid losing consecutive games for the first time since January 2009, they must hold Purdue's duo of seniors, E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, in check. Much like UW's own duo of junior guard Jordan Taylor and senior forward Jon Leuer, the two leading Boilermaker scorers have not only been a key source of production themselves (38.2 PPG and 13.5 RPG combined), but have also served as the catalysts for the Purdue offense.
As with Leuer, Johnson's four years have been marked by consistent individual growth within a system tailor-made for his unique skill set.
"JaJuan Johnson is shooting the three, he's taking it in the post, puts it on the floor a little bit," Ryan said. "So, you know, both of those guys are in programs where they're allowed to expand their games and do things for the betterment of the team."
For the Badgers, senior forward Keaton Nankivil will look to make an impact against his favorite opponent. Both of Nankivil's two career 20-point efforts have come against the Boilermakers, including his memorable seven three-pointers in last year's 64-63 loss in West Lafayette. Having him as a third source of offense would be huge for a Badger offense that looked off kilter over the weekend.
With Purdue, Michigan State and Ohio State set to visit Madison over the next two weeks, this four game stretch is perhaps the most important of Wisconsin's 2011 Big Ten campaign.
Purdue comes into Tuesday's match-up just a game and a half ahead of the Badgers, but with the Boilers having already gone through Minneapolis and Columbus, it would appear that a Purdue win at the Kohl Center would make it all but impossible for UW to square things up in a battle with Purdue for the No.2 seed in the conference tournament.
At 8-6, Purdue is the only Big Ten team with a winning record against Wisconsin during the Bo Ryan era. But having taken care of business at home all season, UW must continue to do so over this two-week stretch in order to remain in the conversation for the Big Ten regular season title.

Just 'One of Those Days'- Sam Sussman

The Penn State men's basketball team moved closer to making its first NCAA tournament since 2001 by beating the Badgers Sunday, something the Nittany Lions haven't accomplished in 8 years.. Led by four starting seniors and with a tenacious defensive effort, the Nittany Lions outlasted Wisconsin 56-52, defeating their fourth-straight Big Ten foe at home.
It was all Badgers in the first half, who were exemplary both offensively and defensively. Penn State struggled to get anything going as Wisconsin shut down passing lanes, forced turnovers and suffocated shooters. Penn State senior guard Talor Battle shot a dismal 1-5 from the field while Wisconsin's interior defense held senior forward Jeff Brooks to just five points. The Nittany Lions shot 33 percent from the field, including a disappointing 2-7 from downtown.
"We couldn't get shots in; we couldn't get any rhythm," Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis said.
Wisconsin matched its stellar defense with a solid performance on the offensive end in the first half. Junior guard Jordan Taylor, a Bob Cousy Award finalist for the best point guard in the country and the nation's leader in assist to turnover ratio, scored 12 points and looked comfortable running Bo Ryan's swing offense.
"I thought we had some really good looks," Wisconsin head coach Ryan said. "It was one of those days."
Not only were they good looks, but they were also falling. The Badgers shot 54 percent in the first half and found the stroke from deep as well, knocking down 42 percent of their three-point attempts. Senior forward Jon Leuer, a Big Ten Player of the Year Candidate, was efficient from the post, shooting 5-7 from the field. Leuer finished with a team-high 18 points, while Taylor chipped in 16.
Wisconsin entered the Bryce Jordan Arena with a 12-1 record when leading at the break, but Saturday's game quickly became a tale of two halves.
"They got off to a hot start. They threw the first punch," said senior forward Andrew Jones, who grabbed 10 rebounds in the second half, . "I think that we reacted pretty well. As the game went on, we settled in."
Penn State did more than settle in; they dominated the second half. A switch flipped in the locker room. The Nittany Lions came out for the final twenty minutes inspired, aggressive and focused.
Wisconsin couldn't hold Battle's talents in check the second half. When the Nittany Lions needed their senior star most, he delivered. Battle went 6-11 from the field in the second half and nailed three shots from beyond the arc, including a triple that gave Penn State its first lead of the game with 10:51 to go in the second half. Battle finished with 22 points.
An even larger factor in Penn State's comeback was the Nittany Lions' relentless defensive play. Brooks recorded game highs with two blocks and three steals, as Wisconsin shot 32 percent in the second half and a frustrating 3-13 from three-point range.
"We played well in the second half; we held them to 23 points," DeChellis said. "We challenged some shots and played with better energy."
The Badgers will have to forget about Penn State quickly as they prepare to face No. 12 Purdue at the Kohl Center Tuesday.

UW Looks to Dash 'Lions' Pride in Big Ten Matchup

The Wisconsin men's basketball team will put its three-game winning streak to the test Saturday as the squad travels east to face the Penn State Nittany Lions at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Penn.
Penn State began the year with a shaky streak. After a handful of devastating home losses, including a 23-point embarrassment to Maryland and a disappointing 10-point loss at the hands of mid-major, Maine, Penn State has resurrected their hopes for the NCAA tournament.
Penn State (4-4 Big Ten, 11-8 overall) currently sits at seventh place in the Big Ten. Since Jan. 8, the Nittany Lions have gone 3-2, topping Iowa, preseason Big Ten favorite Michigan State and No. 16 Illinois. During that stretch, their losses have been more impressive showings than their victories, dropping games at No. 12 Purdue and No. 1 Ohio State by a combined four points.
"Earlier in the year, people weren't as excited, but [Penn State head coach] Ed [DeChellis] is a good coach, and he's got the guys believing now because they've done things to give them a reason to believe," Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. "And if you start believing, as a group, then there really isn't any obstacle or any team that you don't feel you can go out there and compete with."
Big Ten Player of the Year candidate and senior guard Talor Battle can take much of the credit for Penn State's remarkable mid-season turnaround. No stat is more telling of Battle's importance to his squad than his team-leading 37.3 minutes per game. He also leads the Nittany Lions with over 20 points per game.
"With Penn State, it's pick your poison," senior guard Keaton Nankivil said. "They have guards like Battle, but when they are on and getting to the basket, they can open up shots for their forwards too."
One of Penn State's three other starting seniors, forward Jeff Brooks, is exactly the type of poison Nankivil was referring to. In last week's games against Purdue and Iowa, Brooks went off for a combined 41 points and 11 rebounds.
Penn State isn't the only team coming into Saturday's game ride a hot streak, however.
After crushing Northwestern last Sunday in Evanston by 32 points, the No. 15 Badgers are full of confidence. Over the past five games, only one overtime game at Michigan State stands between Wisconsin and perfection.
More impressive than the Badgers' recent surge, however, has been the selfless manner in which they've accomplished their goals. No single game in Ryan's tenure better epitomized his team approach than the win at Northwestern.
"How I think success should be gauged is by how well the group does, not by individual accolades or performances," Ryan said. "People play to play well, but people in a team sport play to play well so that the team does well."
Five Badgers finished in double figure scoring, including freshman guard Josh Gasser, who recorded Wisconsin's first triple-double in school history with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
"He's a hard worker, a determined person," Nankivil said. "He does a ton for this team that people don't even recognize."
The Badgers will need more of that community effort to halt Penn State's spirited mid-season run Saturday.