Badgers Again Knocked Down, But Not Out

I dont want to sit here and deny the obvious: yesterday's 58-52 loss at the hands of #3 Ohio State was a missed opportunity. Wisconsin not only had an opportunity to take over sole possession of first place in the Big Ten, but more importantly to quiet the naysayers who were of the belief that the Badgers were a boring team whose biggest weapon was their ability to lull teams to sleep.

Simply put, they did nothing to quiet those naysayers.

But as I said during the three-game losing streak a few weeks ago, the Badgers struggles havent been proof that the "Wisconsin" way doesnt work, but rather the result of failing to play "Wisconsin basketball".

To recap, the so-called "Wisconsin style" of playing basketball is built upon three things: 1. take care of the ball 2. play solid and physical defense 3. get to the foul line and make free throws

In contrast to what many believe, Wisconsin basketball is not about three-point shooting. They do look better on offense when they are able to knock down the three-point shot, but if you can tell me a team that doesnt, I will dive head first into Lake Mendota right now.

On Saturday, the Badgers once again failed to play up to their standards on all three of those facets. First and foremost, they didnt take care of the ball, turning the ball over 10 times and wasting numerous scoring chances as a result. When they had a chance to take control down the stretch, they wasted that chance with a turnover that led to William Buford's dagger three at the other end.

To make matters worse, the Badgers did not play a good 40 minutes of defense. Sure, they did hold the Buckeyes a full 19 points under their season average, but they could and should have held them even further from that mark. Throughout most of the game, OSU was able to get the ball into sophomore forward Jared Sullinger virtually unchallenged. While the decision to put Bruesewitz and Evans on Sullinger made the finish more difficult in the 2nd half, the Badgers were already behind the eight-ball with their inability to pressure on the perimeter and make post touches difficult to come by. 40 points between forward Sullinger and DeShaun Thomas is a stat line that is simply unacceptable when coming against a Wisconsin team built upon solid interior defense.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Wisconsin did not get to the free throw line on Saturday. After averaging nearly 16.5 attempts through their first 23 games, the Badgers only got to the line three times against Ohio State. On the other side, the Buckeyes were able to get 16 tries at the line, making 13. Ultimately, in a game as tight as Saturday, that 10 point differential at the free throw line proved to be the difference.

If Wisconsin does those three things, things they have done consistently since the beginning of the Bo Ryan era, they would be celebrating a big win right about now.

There is no doubt that the Badgers are a different team this year. They arent the kings of offensive efficiency they were last season but then again they arent the poor perimeter defenders they were during that 25 win campaign. This year the Badgers are much more comfortable playing from behind, much more comfortable grinding things out when the shots arent falling, and much more willing to win when things arent necessarily going their way.

But the fundamentals shouldnt change. Against Penn State, the Badgers were 13/19 from the line. In the win over Indiana, they went 15/19. 10/18 in beating Illinois. 11/14 against Northwestern. Nebraska: 18/24. Purdue 20/24.

During that six-game streak, UW gave up no more than 24 points in the paint. Saturday the Buckeyes had 30. Difference? 6 points. Kind of a theme.

Perhaps the most important number for the Badgers was indeed three point shooting. But not the bad percentage (18%) they shot from beyond the arc, but rather the percentage of their shots that were from three-point range. 27 of UW's 55 shots on Saturday were three-point attempts. During the six game streak, Wisconsin never attempted more than 23 three point shots. And that came in a game against Northwestern where the Badgers were making shots (12/23) and where they blew the game open fairly early in the 2nd half.

27 three's in 55 shots is just unacceptable. It allowed Ohio State to settle in and take away the kick out. While many of Wisconsin's shots were open, the passes were high, low, left, or right because Ohio State was able to challenge them, knowing that UW was only using penetration to get kick outs. As a result, many of the shots came off passes that werent in the "hitting zone", forcing the looks to be off balance regardless of how open they looked to be.

Inside out basketball is not simply about movement, its about intent as well. No matter how much penetration you may get, it doesnt do a thing for opening up the perimeter if you dont penetration with an eye on the basket. That is what Wisconsin was doing and the Buckeyes snuffed it out right away.

Bo Ryan talked about how he thought his team did a good job of penetrating off the dribble, but the numbers tell a different story. If it was indeed true "penetration", Wisconsin would have had more than three free throw attempts. Instead, what the Badgers did was drive inside without a look at the basket, getting stuck in the line on more than one occasion. Almost afraid of contact, the Badgers continued to look for kick outs and were met with a lot of pressure each time they did so. Result: no foul shots until the 6:46 mark of the second half.

Going forward, this team has the potential to make a run. At the Big Ten title? Maybe not. At the Big Ten tournament? Why not? In the NCAA Tournament? Possibility.

Unlike last year, this year's Badgers can play with the best that college basketball has to offer. Just a shot away from overtime on the road against arguably the most talented team in the country, the Badgers know they can win every time they step on the floor if they stick to what they do best: solid defense, discipline on the offensive end, and a determination to get to the free throw line and knock down shots when they do so.

If the Badgers do those three things, there is no reason why they dont have a chance to return to New  Orleans come March 31st.

Badger Shooting Woes Resurface As Buckeyes Finally Win In Madison

If there is one thing that we know about the 2011-2012 Wisconsin men’s basketball team, it is that we really don’t know anything. In one of the more Jekyll-and-Hyde seasons in recent memory, the Badgers have pulled off unexpected wins and while suffering a seemingly equal amount of unexpected defeats. While Saturday’s 58-52 defeat at the hands of No.3 Ohio State (8-2 Big Ten, 20-3 Overall) was far from an upset, the manner in which the Buckeyes came out of Madison certainly not what many had seen coming.

Looking at the numbers, it is actually a surprise that Wisconsin had a chance down the stretch. The Badgers did manage to hit the magic 40% mark from the field, but shot just 18% (5/27) from three-point range. More importantly, UW only got to the free throw three times the entire afternoon, the first Badger free throw coming with just 6:46 left in the game.

“It had to be at least 90% {good shots}…” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “But I thought they shut off stuff going to the rim so then you’ve got to go to what’s next.”

To make matters worse, UW turned the ball over 10 times while only forcing 9 turnovers out of the Buckeyes. For a team built upon their ability to take care of the ball, a few careless passes were the unexpected difference down the stretch as Wisconsin tried to erase a deficit that seemed to stay at seven for most of the second half.

Even with everything going the way of the Buckeyes, Wisconsin had a chance to steal the victory late in the game. A three-pointer by junior forward Mike Bruesewitz, the Badgers’ first three ball in over eight minutes, got UW within one with 3:46 left. OSU sophomore guard Aaron Craft missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity at the other end and the Badgers had a chance to take the lead for the first time since the 5:10 mark of the first half.

“We were playing with fire…” OSU head coach Thad Matta said. “We told them we had to stick to what we were doing. I thought Aaron up on the ball was tremendous.”

But unlike last season, the Buckeyes responded to the threat. Craft got pressure on Taylor on the right wing and forced a bad pass inside to UW junior forward Ryan Evans. Buckeye sophomore forward Jared Sullinger intercepted the weak entry and OSU got a big time three-pointer from senior guard William Buford to quiet the crowd and extinguish the threat.

“That was obviously a big time shot…” Matta added. “I’ve got great faith in William but that was obviously a big, big shot for us.”

While it was Buford who put the Badger comeback bid to bed, it was Sullinger and fellow sophomore forward DeShaun Thomas that carried the Buckeyes to their first win at the Kohl Center since 2000. Sullinger, a year removed from the so-called “spitgate” incident, imposed his will early by scoring the first nine points for OSU. Sullinger finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds while Thomas added 16 points and 6 boards of his own, including a few second chance looks that seemed to squash every opportunity the Badgers had at making a run.

“If anybody thinks that’s what we said we were going to do coming into that game,” Ryan added. “Then you weren’t at practice watching what was going on.”

OSU’s ability to dominate the battle on the interior was ultimately what got them out of Madison with a victory. UW junior forward Jared Berggren struggled all day trying to contain Sullinger and limit his post touches. After holding similarly heralded big men Cody Zeller, Tyler Zeller, and Myers Leonard well below their season averages, the Princeton, Minn native couldn’t handle the much more physical Sullinger.

“{Sullinger} got the ball early, got a couple easy ones, and got himself going…” Bruesewitz said. “We had to limit his touches and make sure he didn’t get the ball as deep as he did.”

Wisconsin has now lost four games at home in a single season for the first time since the 1995-1996 season, when the Badgers were still playing in the Fieldhouse and Dick Bennett was just a first-year coach, having taken over for Stan Van Gundy at the beginning of the year.

But despite their struggles at home, the Badgers are not out of the hunt for a Big Ten title and a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. With road games ahead against Minnesota and Michigan State, the next two weeks will once again be make or break for UW.

“Its not over…” Taylor said. “You have to go and try to beat Minnesota on Thursday. They have a good team and they are playing well. Its definitely no time to feel sorry for yourself.”

Ohio State at Wisconsin Liveblog

Gameday Preview: Ohio State at Wisconsin

February 4th has been circled on calendars throughout Columbus and Madison for a while now. The resumption of perhaps the Big Ten's best basketball rivalry is now upon us and while Wisconsin's 1-3 start had many thinking of selling their tickets, somehow this game is for 1st place in the Big Ten after the Badgers (18-5, 7-3) rattled off six straight since their last loss back on January 8th in Ann Arbor. The  Buckeyes, meanwhile, have also recovered after an uncharacteristically rocky start to conference play. Road losses to Indiana and Illinois had Ohio State (19-3, 7-2) sitting at just 3-2 in conference. Expected to run away with the conference title, Ohio State has not been the invincible team that the so-called experts pegged them to be during the preseason.

Still, OSU is arguably the best team in the country. After dealing with back issues throughout much of the non-conference season and early on in Big Ten play, sophomore forward Jared Sullinger is once again healthy and playing like the All-American he is destined to be. The Columbus native is averaging over 15 points per game during the Buckeyes' four-game winning streak, tearing apart opposing defenses on the interior and opening things up for the OSU guard corps on the perimeter. One of those guards benefitting from Sullinger's resurgence is sophomore Lenzelle Smith Jr. The Zion, Ill native did not play much in his freshman year but has exploded onto the scene in Big Ten play. Despite being held to just two points combined in OSU wins over bottom dwellers Penn State and Nebraska, Smith has been a go-to guy in the Buckeyes' bigger wins, putting up a career-high 28 points against Indiana and following that performance up with a 17 point effort against rival Michigan last Sunday.

While all five Buckeye starters are capable of burning opposing defenses, OSU is not deep by any means. No bench player for Ohio State is averaging over five points per game and the starting five combine to produce a full 79% of the Buckeyes' scoring this season. For comparison, the relatively thin Badger bench has contributed 25% of the UW scoring output. With that in mind, one of the keys to Saturday for UW will be the interior attack, trying to find a way to get OSU starters in foul trouble and off their game. Just as they did with Indiana forward Cody Zeller, the Badgers will certainly make a concerted effort to attack Sullinger on the defensive end. Without Sullinger, Ohio State is very vulnerable, evidenced by their collapse in the first half at Indiana following the big man's 2nd foul.

Regardless of what they are able to do on the defensive end, the Badgers have to hit shots on Saturday to pull off the (minor) upset. With UW and OSU ranking #1 and #2 nationally on the defensive end, it seems that whichever team is able to knock down shots is going to have the upper hand. Wisconsin knows the importance of shooting the ball all too well. Despite surviving a tough day against Nebraska back on January 15th, the Badgers have struggled this year when failing to reach the 40% mark from the field. In fact, when UW shoots 40% or better from the field this season, they are 14-0. When they shoot a better percentage than their opponent, they are also 14-0. Under 40% or worse than the opposition and the Badgers are just 4-5. On the same token, OSU is 18-2 when shooting better than 40% and 19-1 when outshooting that same opponent.

Historically, Wisconsin has shot lights out at the Kohl Center and dominated on their home turf as a result. But this season the vaunted Kohl Center hasnt been such a house of horrors for visiting squads. Marquette snapped the Badgers' 23-game home win streak back on December 3rd, but the biggest chink in the armor came on December 31st when unranked and unheralded Iowa came in and shocked the Badgers in Madison. Michigan State followed that defeat up by handing Bucky a 2nd straight home loss with a 63-60 overtime decision on January 3rd. The three home losses had already tied a single-season high for the Bo Ryan era and Wisconsin had a full seven games remaining.

Never has a Wisconsin team lost four games in one season at the Kohl Center and this year's team does not want to become the first. But to continue being considered among the best in the Big Ten they will have to beat the best Saturday. Ohio State is in town and Madison is ready to roll. Tip off is just a few hours away.

For more UW sports coverage, visit www.dailycardinal.com/sports

Badgers and Buckeyes: The New ‘Big Game’

For years we here in Big Ten land have had to endure the annual media love fest that leads up to the last weekend of the football regular season, the weekend during which Michigan and Ohio State square off in the so-called “Big Game”.  So much a love fest this preclude has become that the weekend itself has become commonly known as “Michigan-Ohio State weekend”.

Forget the fact that there are 53 other games that weekend in FBS alone. The last full weekend of the college football calendar is all about the Buckeyes and the Wolverines.

But in the past few years, that rivalry has gained a rival of its own. While Ohio State was taking advantage of a depleted Michigan program en route to seven straight wins in the series (2004-2010), another Big Ten team was giving those same Buckeyes fits.

From 2003-2010, Wisconsin took half of their matchups with the Buckeyes, all three coming with Ohio State ranked in the top 20 in the nation. On top of that, the Badgers and Buckeyes went back and forth in their series on the hardwood, with UW coming out victorious in 10 of 15 matchups dating back to 2004. During that same stretch, Michigan only beat Ohio State three times out in 17 tries.

So what is the true “Big Game”?

At this point, I would argue that the Wisconsin-Ohio State rivalry is a better one that even that better the Buckeyes and UM.

There is history.

Wisconsin men’s basketball has only beaten a #1 team twice. Both teams were from Columbus.

There is controversy.

Jared Sullinger claiming that a UW student spit at him while the Grateful Red rushed the floor following last year’s 71-67 Wisconsin victory over previously-undefeated OSU.

There is gamesmanship.

Ohio State’s student section rushing the field after beating Wisconsin this past year despite the fact that UW was outside the top 10. Say what you want, that was all about avenging what had happened in Madison the previous year.

And there is plenty at stake.

In 2010, Wisconsin and Ohio State finished tied for the Big Ten conference title (although Ohio State would vacate following the tattoo scandal).

In 2011, Wisconsin and Ohio State both finished in the top three in the conference in men’s basketball, with the Badgers handing OSU one of only two losses in their Big Ten title run.

That fall, Wisconsin came to Columbus still (in hindsight) in the hunt for a potential BCS Championship game bid even after losing on a hail mary the previous weekend in East Lansing. After the Buckeyes repeated that feat at Ohio Stadium, UW’s championship hopes were dashed.

And finally, on February 4^th, 2012, Wisconsin and Ohio State will meet at the Kohl Center with 1^st place in the Big Ten on the line.

The networks might not recognize it, but this is the new “Big Game”. OSU might get the CBS timeslot when they play Michigan, but you have to believe that they circle their trip to the Kohl Center on the calendar well before they would a visit from the Wolverines.

And if you doubt the intensity of this rivalry on the gridiron, just watch the last two games. Not only the games themselves, but the student section reactions afterward.

Michigan and Ohio State seems now to be a rivalry almost exclusively by dictation. On the field, there is not that much different about their matchup than there is a game between Michigan and Nebraska.

Sure, when both teams are good the ghosts of Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler make the OSU-Michigan matchup something special. But in recent years, that hasn’t been the case all that often.

When OSU and Wisconsin meet, you know you are going to see a good game. You know that both teams have plenty to play for, and by plenty I don’t mean a shot at the Gator Bowl.

This new-age rivalry might lack the pageantry of its ancient rival, but if you want to see some intense Big Ten competition, come to Madison when the Buckeyes are in town or Columbus when Bucky visits.

Wisconsin-Ohio State: This is the new “Big Game”. 

For more UW sports coverage, visit www.dailycardinal.com/sports

Badgers and Buckeyes Back At It

Wisconsin and Ohio State might not have the history, but right about now there may not be a better two-sport rivalry in college sports. Saturday’s matchup between the 3^rd-ranked Buckeyes (7-2 Big Ten, 19-3 Overall) and the 19^th-ranked Badgers (7-3 Big Ten, 18-5 Overall) is made that much special with first place in the Big Ten being on the line.

“Obviously it’s a big game. We know the magnitude of it,” UW senior guard Jordan Taylor said. “But you don’t prepare for it any differently.”

Clearly the key for UW is stopping Ohio State sophomore center Jared Sullinger. A future NBA lottery pick, Sullinger leads the Buckeyes with 17.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Though OSU does have shooters on the perimeter, their offensive approach is based upon their ability to get Sullinger the ball in the post.

At the same time, UW junior forward Jared Berggren is slowly gaining a reputation for being one of the best in the business when it comes to neutralizing the nation’s top big men. Berggren has already faced two of the best in brothers Tyler (North Carolina) and Cody (Indiana) Zeller, holding both well below their season scoring averages.

But Sullinger takes the challenge to a whole new level. Possessing the length and size of the Zellers and Illinois big man Myers Leonard, Sullinger adds another dimension in terms of athleticism, fully capable of playing away from the basket as well as he can underneath.

“He is a big kid. He’s wide, uses his feet extremely well underneath the basket,” UW junior forward Mike Bruesewitz said of Sullinger. “Defending a guy like that, you just have to make him work.”

While Berggren has done his best to slow down some big time players down low, the Badgers have done a great job as a team of preventing solid post touches from happening, keeping the scoring opportunities of these big men to a minimum. On Saturday, shutting down post passing lanes will be as important as ever.

“That’s always a part of our defense,” Taylor noted. “We just have to try to make it difficult for everyone on their team.”

In fact, both the Buckeyes and the Badgers have dominated on the defensive end this season. Wisconsin heads into Saturday with the best defense in the country, but Ohio State has crept into the 2^nd spot. In true Big Ten fashion, this seems to point toward yet another grind-it-out type contest: Ugly to the eyes, but basketball at its best.

“Both of us have good down low games and we will be banging a bit,” Gasser said. “We’ve just got to play our game and do what we can control ourselves.”

“Ohio State has definitely embraced {defense} too,” junior forward Mike Bruesewitz said. “They feel that if they play defense they will blow teams out, which they have done.”

During their current six-game win streak, the Badgers have done all the little things necessary to win. They have gotten the big rebounds, found a way to the important loose balls, and made shots when they needed them most. If UW is going add a seventh game to that streak, those little things will have to continue to go Wisconsin’s way.

“We’ve got to get every loose ball, every rebound,” Bruesewitz added. “It might be that the team with the bloodiest jersey ends up with the win.”

Less than four weeks ago Wisconsin was 1-3 in conference and on the verge of missing the NCAA Tournament. With a win Saturday, they will be atop the Big Ten at 8-3 and not only in the NCAA Tournament field, but primed for a potential top two seed. 

For more UW sports coverage, visit www.dailycardinal.com/sports

Ted Porath: Badgers Pass Tough Test in Road Win

The Wisconsin men's basketball team (7-3 Big Ten, 18-5 overall) got its sixth straight win Tuesday night and now stand alone in second place in the Big Ten, but it did not come as easy as maybe one would have suspected against a 12-loss Penn State team.

Penn State came out like a team with nothing to lose in the first half, giving the Badgers all they could handle and taking a 23-17 lead into halftime.

Despite taking the Badgers' best shot, Penn State would not go down without a fight. Leading the charge for the Lions in the second half was junior guard Tim Frazier. The Big Ten's second-leading scorer answered every time it looked like the Badgers were going to pull away, scoring 17 of his game-high 21 in the second half.

With the Wisconsin lead cut down to 40-38, senior guard Jordan Taylor once again stepped up for the Badgers and hit a big three to put the Badgers back up by five. Taylor and the rest of the Badgers hit their free throws down the stretch and Badgers were able to hold on for a 52-46 win.

Taylor finished with a team-high 18 points, with most of them coming in crunch time as he scored 13 of the Badgers last 16 points.

The Badgers' shooting woes reared their ugly head once again in the first half of the game as the Badgers missed 19 of their first 26 shots, including nine of their first 11 three-pointers. Reliance on the outside shot combined with anemic shooting kept the Badgers in single digits for the first 16 minutes of the game.

Penn State on the other hand exploited the normally sound Badger defense in the first half, shooting 46 percent from the field.

Penn State also dominated Wisconsin on the glass as the Nittany Lions outrebounded the Badgers by seven in the first half.

The leading scorer for Penn State in the first half was sophomore guard Jermaine Marshall, scoring 10 points on 5-7 shooting.

Wisconsin turned things around in the second half by making an early emphasis to get the ball inside. By pounding the paint, the Badgers got easy inside shots and regained the lead. Junior center Jared Berggren and junior forward Ryan Evans were instrumental in the Badger comeback, scoring Wisconsin's first 10 second-half points.

The Badgers also shot the ball much better in the second half overall, making 10 of their 22 second-half shots.

Wisconsin returned to form defensively as well, holding Penn State to 7-of-26 shooting.

The Badgers will now gear up for a showdown at the Kohl Center with Big Ten leader Ohio State at 1:00p.m. Saturday. If the Badgers are able to win this game, they will take the outright lead in the Big Ten standings.

One thing is for certain, the Badgers will have to be much more consistent offensively and defensively if they are going to have any chance of beating a team with as much offensive firepower as the Buckeyes.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/daily-cardinal/sports/men-s-basketball-badgers-pass-tough-test-in-road-win/article_9fb4e1a2-4c93-11e1-8eb4-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1l8z0oEOf