Badgers' Lack Of Depth Hurting Them In Conference Play

Wisconsin has never been known to have a team of superstars. The Badger men's basketball program has been resurrected out of the ashes of the 1940's powerhouse program by a philosophy first developed by Dick Bennett and then perfected by current head coach Bo Ryan; a philosophy that teams of quality, hard-working players that buy into the system can win regardless of talent level.

But chief among the tenets of that winning philosophy is the notion that depth is the best weapon against superior talent. Wisconsin has made its name as the thorn in the side of Big Ten powerhouses Ohio State, Michigan State, and Purdue by ensuring that each and every game there is someone on the Badger roster ready to step up. If the "marquee" player has an off night, someone will certainly be ready to pick up the slack and get the Badgers another ho-hum victory at home over a highly-ranked opponent. We've seen the Badgers struggle at times in this light away from home, but at the Kohl Center this mantra of depth trumping talent seems to hold true nearly every night.

Until this week. Until the Badgers followed up a shocking defeat at home to unranked and unheralded Iowa (although the Hawkeyes did validate their win by knocking off Minnesota on the road last night) by once again struggling to find consistency on the offensive end as they fell in heartbreaking fashion to #11 Michigan State.

Yes, the loss to the Spartans will be remembered by the disallowed three-point shot by Ryan Evans that would have sent the game into double overtime, but the reason that Wisconsin now heads on a two-game road trip facing the prospect of a 1-4 start in Big Ten play has nothing to do with the discrepancy in the clocks at the Kohl Center.

In fact, the reason Wisconsin has quickly gone from title contender to bubble team is fairly simple: depth, or lack thereof. The Badgers have no depth whatsoever, something that flies directly in the face of all that is Badger basketball.

They continue to bring guys in that fit the system, guys willing to work hard and listen to coaching and hopefully form the nucleus of a title-contending team their junior/senior years. But this year, Ryan and his staff have failed their players by failing to hold onto the traditions of the very system they themselves have so diligently used in order to take Wisconsin to 13 straight NCAA Tournaments.

They have failed to build depth not because they dont have depth, but because they didnt take the time to build it when they had the chance. In essence, Wisconsin didnt lose their first two Big Ten home contests this week, they lost them in blowout wins over Colgate, over Wofford, over Savannah State. They lost them by having three starters on the court with less than four minutes left and the Badgers clinging to forty-plus point leads.

Wisconsin has players that could have been ready to step up in the face of an off night by Ben Brust, foul trouble for Ryan Evans, etc. The problem now is that the UW coaching staff didnt allow them to see the floor in games that were decided well before their conclusion. By letting starters stay on the floor during blowout wins in non-conference play, Wisconsin's staff not only wore down those players just a bit more prior to Big Ten play, but more importantly failed to give that second tier of players the on-court experience they need to be ready when duty comes calling.

Right now, the Badgers need a spark plug. Before his recent cold spell, many would think that spark plug could be sophomore guard Ben Brust, but right now it doesnt seem Brust is in a position to take the lead, dealing with a sophomore slump that was bound to come at some point. Wisconsin needs Brust to start making shots again and that will happen eventually. But more importantly, Wisconsin needs more bodies to make an impact.

The Badgers cannot expect to compete in the Big Ten going just seven deep. Late in the losses to Michigan State and Iowa, it was apparent that even lock down defenders like Jordan Taylor and Jared Berggren were beginning to show signs of clear fatigue. Iowa senior guard Bryce Cartwright made a mockery out of Taylor in the second half last Saturday (Taylor finished the game having played all 40 minutes) and on Tuesday, Spartan sophomore Keith Appling did much of the same (Taylor played 44 minutes against Michigan State). While Taylor's offensive firepower finally reared its head and kept Wisconsin in the game literally until the final second, the impact that fatigue is having on what was the nation's top defense is clear as day.

Though many will point to the three-point shooting and say that the Badgers are going to have to both live and die by the three, the reality is that they are a team defined by defense. They are certainly going to need to shoot the three well enough to win, but they will live and die not by the deep ball, but by their defense. Against Iowa, they managed to put up 65 points, good enough to win all but one of their games thus far this season. The 72 points allowed on Wisconsin's home floor more than outweighed the 3-for-28 performance from beyond the arc in terms of leading to UW's demise.

With defense being the calling card of the 2011-2012 Wisconsin men's basketball season, it is fairly obvious that they have to limit the minutes being played by their starters. Including the many blowout victories UW had during non-conference play, two players are averaging over 30 minutes per game, with three more clocking in at 27 or more per contest. Starting forward Mike Bruesewitz is actually sixth on the team in minutes with just over 24 per game and beyond him, only senior guard Rob Wilson has notched a double-digit average, coming in at just 10.0 minutes per game.

So their is an argument to be made that Wisconsin only goes six deep but with Wilson playing a part in the past two losses, I will give it seven for the sake of the argument.

Now compare this to Michigan State. The Spartans have a star in Draymond Green. He is playing just over 32 minutes a game. Beyond Green, MSU has a full 8 players coming in a 18 minutes or more per game. And the Spartans havent had the cushy schedule of Wisconsin, with only 4 games thus far finishing with a margin of greater than 20 points.

At this point in the season, there is probably little that Ryan and company can do to alleviate the depth issue. They are going to face stiff competition from here on in during Big Ten play and cannot afford to throw unexperienced players into the fire. They had that chance and they likely missed it.

But if there is a staff capable of turning things around, the Badgers have them. Bo Ryan has yet to miss an NCAA Tournament while in Madison and has faced mid-season adversity on more than a few occasions during that run. But he is going to have to figure out how his thin roster can compete in the Big Ten and the answer to that problem will not be easy to find.

Badgers Stunned By Another Buzzer Defeat

Time ran out on the Badgers as their last-ditch effort at an overtime comeback against Michigan State fell short when Ryan Evans' banked-in three-point shot was ruled no good as the backboard clock showed all zeros and the Spartans (3-0 Big Ten, 14-2 overall) were handed a 63-60 victory over a reeling Wisconsin squad.

MSU head coach Tom Izzo's first victory in Madison over UW head coach Bo Ryan was a memorable one. The Badgers (1-2 Big Ten, 12-4 overall) shot the ball at an anemic pace the entire game, finishing at a 33% clip softened tremendously by late heroics from senior guard Jordan Taylor, who finished with a game-high 28 points.

But beyond the heartbreaking finish and the poor shooting, Wisconsin failed to do the little things necessary to win. Taylor himself was uncharacteristically shaky with the ball, turning the ball over four times while notching just a single assist. The Badgers were out-rebounded 41-33 and missed 8 free throws (including two that were the front end of potential "one and one" chances), one of those free throws coming when Taylor had a chance to give UW a lead with just over 30 seconds remaining in regulation.

As the Badgers head into two tough road games against Michigan and Purdue, they must do something about their utter lack of depth. In Tuesday's defeat, three players finished with over 40 minutes of court time (out of a possible 45). Only seven players saw action for UW while Michigan State got a full 10 players involved in the act. The Badgers lack of depth hurt them tremendously in losses to Iowa and Michigan State, as UW starters were clearly fatigued during a few disorganized possession late in the game.

Facing the prospect of having to recover from consecutive home losses for the first time in three years, UW is squarely in danger zone and potentially on the verge of playing themselves out of a 14th straight NCAA tournament appearance.

Badgers Sleepwalk Their Way To Home Defeat

After getting the conference season off to a promising start with a decisive road victory over Nebraska, 11th-ranked Wisconsin men's basketball (1-1 Big Ten, 12-3 overall) laid an egg on Saturday, losing their Big Ten home opener to Iowa (1-1 Big Ten, 9-6 overall) by a final score of 72-65.

While many will point to Wisconsin's 3-of-28 performance from beyond the three-point line, the Badgers' first losing conference home opener in 12 years was the result of poor transition defense. After making defense a hallmark of their game throughout the non-conference schedule, UW allowed Iowa to score 14 points on fast break opportunities, with the Badgers only managing to notch two of their own.

UW's lack of depth was on clear display as they struggled from the get-go and couldnt turn to a viable alternative on the bench. Sophomore guard Ben Brust, Wisconsin's leading bench scorer at just over ten points a game coming into Saturday, struggled mightily against the Hawkeyes, the school he originally signed with prior to then-coach Todd Lickliter's dismissal. While the Hawkthorn Woods, Ill. native did finish with 11 points, he was 4-of-13 from the field and just 1-of-9 from beyond the arc, those misses leading to several fast break opportunities for the opportunistic Hawkeyes.

As much as Wisconsin's bench play was non-existent, Iowa's was the key to their victory. Freshman guard Aaron White led three Hawkeyes in double digits with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting, the lone misfire being followed up by an offensive rebound and putback that gave Iowa the lead for good. Senior guard Bryce Cartwright also came up big off the bench, finishing the game with 17 points of his own on 7-of-12 from the field.

But the bottom line was that Wisconsin's inability to build depth in the non-conference portion of the season came back to bite them on Saturday. With junior forward Ryan Evans in foul trouble and limited to just 15 minutes of floor time, the Badgers were forced to have five players play over 30 minutes, with senior guard Jordan Taylor staying on the floor for the entire 40 minutes. Ultimately, fatigue set in, as Taylor and others were caught a step slow on the defensive end throughout the second half, something Badger fans have not been accustomed to seeing from what was the nation's top scoring defense.

Wisconsin now has just two days to prepare for a much stiffer test at home as Michigan State rolls into town on Tuesday night. With a road date against another top-20 team in Michigan just beyond that and another at Purdue to follow, Wisconsin is now staring a 1-4 start in Big Ten play square in the face.

One bad performance and the conversation has immediately gone from final four to bubble hopes. Oh how quickly things can change.

Badgers Set For Final Non-Conference Tune-Up

One of the more oft-mentioned mantras in sports is that each and every game is a unique challenge in itself, the old "one game at a time" philosophy. But as Wisconsin men's basketball sets to cap off their non-conference season today against Mississippi Valley State, one has to believe they have their eye on Nebraska.

After their 6-0 start was derailed by consecutive losses at the hands of Marquette and North Carolina, the 14th-ranked Badgers (10-2) have turned their season back on the right track with victories over UW-Green Bay, UNLV, UW-Milwaukee, and Savannah State heading into the final exam break. With just one final game between them and Tuesday night's conference opener in Lincoln, the Badgers know that this game has to be more than simply about winning.

But while preparation is on the minds of the Wisconsin players and coaching staff as they get set to face the Delta Devils (1-9), there is also a keen recognition of whatever validity remains in the "one game at a time" myth. After all, a sluggish performance Friday does the Badgers no good with Christmas followed up almost immediately by the first Big Ten road test of the season. 

One player who needs to get back on track is senior guard Jordan Taylor. While the preseason All-American has continued to play the point with unparalleled efficiency, the shot has simply been off most of the season for the Bloomington, Minn native. That said, Taylor's 0-for-10 performance in the December 10th victory over UNLV seemed to be the rock bottom and since then Taylor has rattled off games of 14 and 12 points. His presence on the offensive end, not simply as the facilitator, is something the Badgers will need as they head into Big Ten play.

Serving as the matinee for Friday night's women's game against UW-Green Bay, the Badgers will tip off at 4:30 at the Kohl Center, looking to finish off the non-conference season 11-2 for the 2nd straight season.

Badgers Roll Into Finals With Big Win

After surviving a tough road test Tuesday night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin men's basketball returned home to the Kohl Center and stormed past an overwhelmed Savannah State (1-1 MEAC, 4-8 overall) team in their 66-33 win Thursday night. The Badgers (10-2) were quick out of the gates, hitting 8 of their first 9 shots while jumping out to a 16-4 lead just over 5 minutes into the game.

Once again, junior forward Jared Berggren led the scoring for UW. The Princeton, Minn native followed up his 17 point performance against Milwaukee with 13 points Thursday night, 11 coming in the first half. Berggren took advantage of the smaller Savannah State front court and imposed his will on the interior.

All five Wisconsin starters finished the game with at least 8 points, with 4 of the 5 finishing the night in double figures scoring. Sophomore guard Josh Gasser had a resurgence of sorts, finishing the night 4-of-7 from the field en route to a 10 point, 5 rebound night.

The Badgers now take a week off for finals before finishing off the non-conference season on December 23rd against Mississippi Valley State. The Big Ten opener at Nebraska is now just 12 days away.

Badgers Eek Out Road Win in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE, Wis.-Leading by 17 points with just over 15 minutes left, it seemed as if Wisconsin men’s basketball would have no trouble picking up its first true road win of the young season. But after UW-Milwaukee (2-0 Horizon, 8-3 overall) responded with a 21-4 run over the next ten minutes, the Badgers immediately had a fight on their hands. But thanks in large part to a clutch three-pointer in the final minute made by senior guard Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin (9-2 overall) got out of Milwaukee with a 60-54 victory.

Playing in front of a crowd of 10,143 at US Cellular Arena, the largest crowd in UW-M history, it looked for much of the night as if UW was going to run away with a rout. Junior forward Ryan Evans gave the Badgers a big lift throughout the first half and early in the 2^nd, scoring a career-high 16 points in just the first 26 minutes of the game.

“{Evans} did a really good job of taking his assignments and sticking to them,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “He was also able to get some buckets finished underneath and to get to the free throw line…defensively he has been doing a good job {all season} and offensively, same thing.”

But as Evans began to struggle offensively, Panther Senior forward Tony Meier took center stage, leading a sudden charge that took Tuesday’s game from laugher to dual in a matter of minutes. Meier finished the game with a team-high 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, hitting two clutch three-point shots during the Panther run before going cold as UW-M faded down stretch.

Tuesday night was all about runs. Wisconsin got off to a hot start with a 14-2 run in the first half that gave them a 22-8 lead in the first half. Ultimately, the cushion that early run gave UW allowed them to withstand a furious comeback by the Panthers that had US Cellular Arena rocking late in the 2^nd half.

Having survived the test Milwaukee gave them, the Badgers are now able to use the experience gained Tuesday night as they head into Big Ten play.

“It was a good road test for us to play in an environment like this,” junior forward Jared Berggren said. “To survive the run they made, its good preparation for what is to come in the Big Ten season and the rest of the year.”

After missing a late shot that could have gotten the Badgers right back in the game against North Carolina, Taylor’s last-minute heroics were a welcome sight for a Badger team desperately needing their star point guard to recover from his recent slump. Giving a discernible yell after the bucket, it was clear Taylor understood the enormity of the shot, one that gave UW a cushion they ultimately rode to the six-point win.

“I felt like he backed off a bit so I took the shot,” Taylor said. “I was just fortunate to have it go down.”

Evans recalled the shot a bit differently, noting that he saw something in Taylor that has been missed over the past few weeks.

“To tell you the truth, I knew it was going in…” Evans said. “There’s a look in his eye when you know Jordan is going to make the shot.”

With their first road victory now in hand, the Badgers now look forward to the homestretch of the non-conference schedule. Just two games and 14 days remain before the Big Ten opener in Lincoln, Nebraska on December 27^th. 

Badgers Set for Road Test in Milwaukee

Having seemingly gotten back on their feet after two consecutive losses to top-10 teams North Carolina and Marquette, #14/15 Wisconsin (8-2, 0-0 Big Ten) now faces its final road test of the non-conference schedule as they visit in-state rival UW-Milwaukee (8-2, 2-0 Horizon) on Tuesday night.

Fresh off of a win over UNLV on Saturday, arguably their best victory of the young season, the Badgers now set out to prove that they can win on the road. Although Wisconsin is 27-1 all-time against Milwaukee and a perfect 10-0 under head coach Bo Ryan, the Panthers have a tournament-ready team this season, having already taken down Big East member DePaul in non-conference play.

“Milwaukee is a really, really good team…” UW junior forward Mike Bruesewitz said Sunday. “They haven’t lost at home yet so they are going to be a real challenge for us.”

One of the challenges in facing the Panthers this season is that they don’t really have a stand out scorer. While leading scorer Kaylon Williams is averaging just 12.8 points per contest, Milwaukee has three players averaging in double figures, with another three clocking in above the 8.5 point per game mark as well. Fighting injuries throughout the season, the Panthers have done a remarkable job of replacing lost production while playing all ten games without at least one projected starter.

While Wisconsin is a staggering 158-12 at home under coach Ryan, once they leave the Kohl Center they are a modest 55-57. After finishing last season just 5-6 in true road games, winning on the road immediately became a point of emphasis heading into the 2011-2012 campaign. Already having lost their first road test at #5 North Carolina, the Badgers desperately need to pick up a win on their opponent’s home floor, if for no other reason than to build confidence heading into the demanding Big Ten schedule.

“To go into their place and get a win would be huge against a good team…” sophomore guard Josh Gasser said. “A road win is a road win, its always good to have one under your belt.”

From day 1, the focus this season has been on the play of a trio of juniors in the backcourt. While Jared Berggren has been a constant presence on the floor for UW, the play of fellow Bruesewitz and Ryan Evans has fluctuated wildly along the spectrum, great at times and anything but at others.

Both had been struggling of late before resurgent performances in Saturday’s win. Bruesewitz picked up a career-high 10 rebounds to lead the way for the Badgers, with Evans adding 9 for a career-high of his own. Their presence on the glass, something missing during the lull UW seemed to hit at the beginning of the month, makes Wisconsin much more dangerous no matter where they play.

“We’ve got so many guys who can score…” Gasser said. “We just try to do the little things and when our chances are open, knock them down and make some plays.”

With finals just a week away and Big Ten play not far behind, the mental challenge of staying in the moment might be the toughest task to handle as the Badgers try to take care of business in Milwaukee.

“We do a good job as a team to make sure that we get that stuff done off the court,” sophomore guard Ben Brust said. “When we are on the court, you’ve got to be focused all the time.”

“This week is going to be a little bit of a struggle…” Bruesewitz admitted. “But that is why you are a Division 1 athlete.”