Dores A Tough Matchup For Badgers

The 4/5 matchup in the NCAA Tournament is by nature a tough one. But this year Wisconsin faces a unique test against 5^th seed Vanderbilt. While Vandy (XX-XX) was once labeled the most disappointing team in the country, losing non-conference games to Indiana State and Cleveland State, the senior-laden Dores seem to have finally found what they had been looking for all along, winning the SEC Tournament title last weekend with a win over No.1 Kentucky.

In many ways, Saturday’s matchup with VU is similar to last year’s third-round matchup against another 5^th seed, Kansas State. Just as last year’s Wildcats seemed to live and die by the play of senior guard Jacob Pullen, the fortunes of Vanderbilt this season seem to revolve around the sometimes inconsistent play of junior guard John Jenkins.

Jenkins, who led the team in scoring during the regular season with 19.9 points per game, had arguably his best game of the year in Thursday’s win over 12^th seed Harvard. The Hendersonville, Tenn native was virtually unconscious with his jump shot, lit the Crimson up for 27 points on 7-of-12 shooting. In the Commodore’s SEC Tournament win over Kentucky, Jenkins had 17 points and 7 rebounds as VU handed the Wildcats just their 2^nd loss of the season and their first since a last-second loss at Indiana back on December 10^th.

While Vandy can score in bunches when Jenkins and senior forward Jeffrey Taylor (16.4 PPG) are on their game, they have struggled at the defensive end throughout the year. This was especially the case early in the year when the Commodores were without 6’11” senior forward Festus Ezeli, out of action during the first 8 games because of NCAA suspension as well as lingering knee problems. Even in the time since Ezeli’s return, defense has been hit or miss, largely the product of the inconsistent performance on the part of the big man from Benin City, Nigeria.

Against Harvard, Ezeli took advantage of his size and shut down Harvard’s interior game for most of the afternoon. While the Crimson made a late run to hit the 70-point mark, Ezeli’s length had Harvard senior forward Keith Wright stifled for the majority of the contest.

But UW junior forward Jared Berggren is a different animal. Although a 6’11” forward capable of stepping out and shooting from distance is commonplace in the Big Ten, that type of versatility is virtually unknown in the SEC, save for the rare talent that is Kentucky freshman and likely national player-of-the-year winner Anthony Davis.

The Dores hope that their experience in three games against Davis and the Wildcats will translate as they face a similarly long but clearly not as athletic Wisconsin front line. After Davis torched VU for 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 blocks in Kentucky’s 83-74 win over Vandy back on February 25^th, the Dores clamped down and held the Chicago, Ill native to just 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the championship game of the SEC Tournament last weekend.

It will be interesting to see how the Badgers handle Ezeli defensively. While the lengthy big man is not much of a threat to step out, his strength inside could become an issue should Berggren have similar struggles to those he had in Wisconsin’s first matchup with Ohio State back on February 4^th. On the other hand, if Berggren is able to handle Ezeli on his own as he did OSU sophomore Jared Sullinger in Columbus, the Badgers can then put fellow junior forwards Ryan Evans and Mike Bruesewitz on the more athletic Taylor and senior forward Lance Goulbourne, avoiding the type of mismatches that Vanderbilt has been able to expose throughout SEC play. 

Badgers Set To Begin Second Season

DALLAS, TX/ALBUQUERQUE, NM- Having gotten over the sting of Saturday’s loss to top-seeded Michigan State in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, Wisconsin men’s basketball is now set to begin the “second season” that is the NCAA Tournament. Having been awarded the 4^th seed in the East Region, the Badgers (24-9) will open tournament play against 13^th seed Montana Thursday afternoon in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Grizzlies (25-6) are fresh off a Big Sky Tournament championship and have now won 21 of their last 22 games dating back to December 17^th. Similar to Belmont last season, Montana is quickly becoming the trendy “upset” pick in this year’s tournament.

“{Montana head coach} Wayne {Tinkle} does a great job with getting his guys to understand what he sees, what his vision is about basketball,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “Who is playing better than Montana right now?”

Another storyline heading into Thursday involves one of Montana’s top assistant coaches, former UW standout Freddie Owens. Owens, best known for his game winning shot against Tulsa in the 2003 NCAA Tournament was interviewed for the assistant coaching job vacated by former UW assistant Howard Moore and eventually filled by current assistant Lamont Paris.

“I know there’s a lot more pressure on him than me going into this game because he’s supposed to know it all…” Tinkle said Wednesday. “It does help. He’s very familiar with their style of play and then what I think is just as important, is maybe the tendencies of Coach Ryan and the adjustments that he makes.”

One of the questions on the Wisconsin end of things will be the composition of the starting lineup. While UW head coach Bo Ryan has stuck with the same starting five in all 33 games thus far, the recent struggles of junior forward Mike Bruesewitz and the subsequent surge in production from senior guard Rob Wilson have many clamoring for a change.

Bruesewitz, whether starting or not, will have to be a big factor for the Badgers to advance deep into the tournament. The St. Paul, Minn native was a key contributor during last year’s Sweet 16 run, averaging 9.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game during UW’s two tournament victories. Last year it was an injury that had Bruesewitz reeling on the eve of tournament play and this year it is cold shooting. Either way, the Badgers know that things can turn around pretty quickly.

Montana junior guard Will Cherry has been the driver of the Grizzlies’ dominance throughout Big Sky play. The West Oakland, Calif native leads Montana with 16.0 points per game and is 2^nd on the team with 3.39 assists per game as well. In conference play, Cherry has upped his game, averaging 17.2 points per game as the Grizzlies took home the regular season title at 15-1.

“I know he won ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ in his conference, so that obviously speaks volumes to what he can do on the defensive end,” UW senior guard Jordan Taylor said. “They’re a talented team and deserve to be in the tournament.”

Just as Cherry is the engine that has driven Montana to Albuquerque, it is Taylor who has maneuvered Wisconsin into a top-4 seed for the third straight season.

“Both guys can do things for their teams,” Ryan said. “Both guys are used to winning.”

Taylor has had his struggles at times this season, shooting under 40% overall and just over 35% from beyond the three-point arc. But the first-team All-Big Ten selection continues to lead UW with 14.7 points and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.49.

“He doesn’t always have to do it by shooting the ball and scoring himself,” UW junior forward Jared Berggren said. “He can create plays and create opportunities for others.”

Taylor struggled last weekend in Indianapolis and had it not been for Wilson’s stunning 30 point effort Friday against Indiana, the Badgers may very well have gone one-and-done for the fourth straight season. As the Badgers begin their quest for a national title, Taylor will have to be leading the charge.

“I think numbers are one thing, but leadership and quality and what he brings in every other phase of the game might be down in certain statistics,” Ryan added. “But it certainly isn’t down in what he’s done to help make us a pretty good team.”

You cannot help but sense that the Badgers feel a bit of good karma having been placed in Albuquerque for the first time since 2000, the year that Wisconsin last made a Final Four run. But while these odd coincidences are fodder for the writing crowd, coach Ryan and crew realize that UW’s history in New Mexico has no bearing on their chances this time around.

“This is our guys time…” Ryan said. “This is their moment and it’s pretty important to them.”

Badgers Set To Hit The Road

Although Wisconsin men’s basketball may not have captured the ultimate prize in this past weekend’s Big Ten Tournament, it received quite a consolation prize Sunday night when it was awarded the 4^th seed in the East region of the NCAA Tournament.

Making their 14^th consecutive appearance in the “Big Dance”, the Badgers (25-9) will open tournament play Thursday against 13^th seed Montana (25-6) at “The Pit” in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Saturday’s loss to Michigan State has been described by some as a “throttling”. While that performance seems to have hurt UW’s chances according to the so-called “experts”, the reality is that all 68 teams in the tournament begin the week on a level playing field.

It’s a brand new season starting Monday…” UW sophomore guard Josh Gasser said. “We’ve just got to go into practice and keep getting better.”

Suddenly it seems that one of the keys for the Badgers is the production of senior guard Rob Wilson. Wilson, who came into the Big Ten Tournament averaging just 10.7 minutes and 3.1 points per game, was the story of the day on Friday after he blitzed No. 15 Indiana for 30 points including seven three-pointers. While Michigan State did a good job of limiting Wilson’s looks in Saturday’s semifinal round, it is clear that Wilson’s presence on the court adds a new dimension to the Badger rotation.

The NCAA Tournament is unique in that every team is just six good games from a national title and yet at the same time, just one poor stretch from an early exit. Given the inconsistency of several Badgers’ offensive production, Wilson figures to see a lot more playing time, continuing a trend that began with his 64 minutes over 2 games this weekend.

Will that be the same in the NCAA Tournament?  I don't know,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “But I'm an equal opportunity guy.  If you're getting things done, you get on the floor. And you can stay.”

Having already beaten six NCAA Tournament teams this season, it wouldn’t not be far-fetched to say that UW has a shot at a prolonged run in the tournament. That said, the Badgers would need more consistent efforts from the entire starting five in order to make that dream a reality.

Just look at last season’s Sweet 16 loss to Butler and you should see loud and clear that success in the postseason cannot be left in the hands of one or two primary scorers alone.

“We need {scoring} from everybody,” Ryan added. “And when we get that, we’ve proven 24 times we can get some things done.”

Junior forward Mike Bruesewitz is definitely among those from whom the Badgers are going to need a contribution. In last year’s NCAA Tournament, Bruesewitz was a key contributor, coming off the bench for 8 points and 9 rebounds in the opening round win over Belmont and then knocking down a key three-pointer late against Kansas State. Of late, Bruesewitz has struggled with his shot, missing his late 18 three-point shots dating back to February 9^th. Before then, Bruesewitz was shooting over 30% from the three-point line, a respectable figure especially for a frontcourt player.

While there are some out there who believe Big Sky champion Montana is primed to pull off the upset, UW’s biggest threat in Albuquerque would seem to be 5^th seed Vanderbilt. Loaded with experience, the senior-laden Commodores are playing their best basketball of the season, having beaten Kentucky in the final of the SEC Tournament on Sunday. And while the Dores have on their resume losses to Cleveland State and Indiana State, they also have wins against top-10 teams Kentucky and Marquette.

Looking beyond the task at hand in Albuquerque, Wisconsin would have a 31-2 Syracuse team standing between them and a Final Four. But while this would seem to be an impassible roadblock, the Badgers have already beaten a top-10 team in Ohio State and nearly knocked off another when they traveled to North Carolina back in November. Given the rebounding problems that have plagued the Orange at times this season, it would seem that UW has drawn perhaps the best matchup they could have hoped for amongst the four number one seeds.

“We always have that confidence that we feel like we can play with anyone,” UW junior forward Jared Berggren said. “It doesn’t matter who or where or when, we believe we can beat anyone when we stick to what we do well.”

He Let Rob Play!

He Let Rob Play

Rob Wilson’s Wisconsin career hasn’t exactly been the stuff of legend. While the senior guard came to Madison as a highly touted recruit, his four years in a Badger uniform had not exactly lived up to expectations.

On Friday afternoon, Wilson made up for lost time.

The Cleveland, Ohio native got things started when he nailed a three pointer just seconds after coming off the bench. That shot gave Wisconsin a 14-13 lead that they would never relinquish.

Wilson would then hit another shot from deep just over a minute later and never looked back as he led the 14^th ranked Badgers (24-8) with a career-high 30 points in UW’s 79-71 victory over No. 15 Indiana.

Although the game was officially played on a neutral court, Banker’s Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis was anything but neutral Friday. The Hoosiers (25-8) came into the game 23-1 in games played inside the state of Indiana and certainly felt the support of a crowd littered with Crimson and Cream.

But this season that type of hostile environment hasn’t phased the Badgers a bit. With their latest victory, UW is now 10-4 away from the Kohl Center.

“All year long, we have done it…” UW sophomore guard Josh Gasser said. “This was nothing like a neutral court game when you heard how loud the crowd was after {Indiana} went on runs.”

Though it was a team effort, Friday was all about Rob Wilson. Wilson entered the game averaging just 3.1 points and 10.7 minutes per game this season. Just 40 minutes later, Wilson was the talk of the tournament, trending worldwide on twitter after he hit a final free throw to give him 30 points for the afternoon.

The Badgers have known all along that Wilson had the capability of playing at this level so the feeling post game was more a feeling of satisfaction than of surprise.

“Its never too late to turn it on,” sophomore guard Ben Brust said. “He has had ups and downs like many of us so its just great to see him in his senior year not wanting it to end.”

With Jordan Taylor admittedly struggling on the offensive end, the Badgers needed the so-called supporting cast to step up and they certainly answered the call.

Beyond Wilson, UW got double-digit contributions from junior forwards Ryan Evans and Jared Berggren, Berggren finishing just a rebound shy of a double-double with 16 points and 9 rebounds

“The best games we have played have been when we’ve had multiple guys contribute offensively,” Gasser said. “But when you’ve got a guy like Rob lighting it up light he did, it makes things a lot easier.”

Berggren also made his presence known on the defensive end. After holding Indiana freshman forward Cody Zeller to just seven points in Madison back on January 26^th, the Princeton, Minn native once again limited Zeller’s touches the entire way. Although Zeller was able to quietly rack up 17 points by way of a 7-for-8 effort at the charity stripe, the Washington, Ind native only grabbed a single rebound. More importantly, he only managed nine field goal attempts, never able to make a big time impact despite clearly bringing his A-game.

“Every good post player we go against I just try to limit his touches…” Berggren said. “Then when he does get the ball, just force him into tough shots and make him work for everything.”

In addition to overcoming the partisan crowd, the Badgers had to outplay some lingering demons as a result of three straight losses in Indianapolis, the most recent being an ugly 36-33 loss to Penn State in last year’s Big Ten quarterfinals. Unlike last year, when UW’s first points came a full 7:27 into the game, the shots were falling from the get go.

“I think that felt great,” Evans said. “We definitely had {last year’s loss} in the back of our mind but to be able to get out there and get the shots falling, and then to play well on defense, that’s big time.”

Though the Badgers built a lead that grew as large as 11 in the first half, Indiana did not go quietly. The Hoosiers cut the lead to five at the half, making an early 2^nd half push that brought them as close as one after Jordan Taylor was charged with an intentional foul trying to prevent Hoosier guard Victor Oladipo from getting a wide open layup. Oladipo would make just one of two free throws and Wisconsin would force a turnover, capitalizing after Rob Wilson hit one of his seven three-pointers to give the Badgers a four-point cushion once again.

“We were fighting back every time they made a run…” Berggren said. “Every time they got the crowd going we just tried to handle it. We did just enough to counter their punches.”

The rest of the way the game went back and forth. Wisconsin was able to build their lead back up to nine halfway through the half only to see the Hoosiers counterpunch with a 12-2 run that brought them once again within a single point at the final media timeout with 3:45 left.

Berggren made two free throws to push the lead out to three and then fed Wilson for a layup to push that lead to five, again only to see IU respond as sophomore forward Will Sheehey drained a long jump shot to get the Hoosiers within a possession with just under two minutes left. Berggren got a feed from Wilson and dunked it home at the other end but then fouled Zeller to keep Indiana alive.

Zeller made one of two, cutting the gap to four and setting the stage for who else but Rob Wilson.

With the shot clock running down and the Badgers in trouble, Wilson spotted up on the left wing and nailed a cold-blooded three, his 7^th of the game, tying a UW record, giving Wisconsin a seven point cushion, and sending throngs of Crimson and Cream hurling toward the exits.

“Every time we made a push, they made a big play,” Indiana head coach Tom Crean said. “It was usually Rob Wilson making that play.”

Wisconsin has less than 24 hours to revel in this victory as a semifinal matchup with top-seeded Michigan State awaits them on Saturday. The Spartans have already beaten UW twice this season and while Friday’s win certainly got a big monkey off the Badgers’ backs, they are well aware that there is plenty more work to be done.

“It’s the best feeling right now,” Wilson said after the win. “To come down here and get a win is definitely something I have had on my checklist. We’ve accomplished it but now we’ve got more games to win.”

Badgers Head Into Postseason With New Goals In Mind

Having finished off the regular season in style with three straight conference victories, Wisconsin men’s basketball now heads down to Indianapolis to begin what they hope is an extended postseason run. Just a year after being upset in the Big Ten quarterfinals by Penn State, the Badgers (12-6 Big Ten, 23-8 Overall) will likely enter Friday’s quarterfinal matchup with Indiana (11-7 Big Ten, 25-7 Overall) as a slight underdog.

Although UW was able to defeat the Hoosiers in Madison back on January 26^th, IU will no doubt have an advantage with the game being played at Indianapolis’ Bankerslife Fieldhouse. Just 2-6 outside the state of Indiana, the Hoosiers are 23-1 in their home state, with three of those victories coming against top-5 opponents.

“The crowds {in Bloomington} have been so fantastic and I have no doubt that it is going to carry over there…” Indiana head coach Tom Crean said Monday. “I know our guys thrive on it.”

Beyond the Hoosier home court advantage, the Badgers will have to overcome the demons that inevitably accompany a team that hasn’t won in Indy since the 2008 championship game, a run of three consecutive losses in the conference’s postseason tournament.

While UW will be trying to exact revenge for its recent struggles at the renamed Bankerslife Fieldhouse, the Hoosiers will no doubt be out to prove that they let one get away back in Madison. 

One of the reasons that the Hoosiers felt that way was the sub-standard play of freshman forward Cody Zeller. The Big Ten’s freshman of the year, Zeller finished the regular season averaging 15.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. But against the Badgers, Zeller managed just seven points and three rebounds while struggling through foul trouble for most of the game.

“He got a foul called on him the second possession of the game,” Crean said after that game. “There were a couple times we tried to get the ball to him but they three-quartered him, and we didn’t give him the chance to post up like he is used to.”

Outside of a bad night in Madison, Zeller has been one of the best players in the Big Ten. The Washington, Ind native has been a major factor in Indiana’s 13-game improvement over last season and would figure to play a pivotal role should the Hoosiers make a run through the postseason.

“You could tell from his bloodlines how good he could be,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said of Zeller. “Sometimes potential is a curse but not in his case, not with what he has been around.”

While it seems likely that Zeller’s numbers will begin to regress toward their mean, UW junior forward Jared Berggren has been a kryptonite of sorts for the Zeller family this season. Before holding the younger Cody to his second-worst scoring of the year, Berggren held older brother Tyler to just 12 points in Wisconsin’s 60-57 loss at North Carolina back on November 30^th. The elder Zeller was just 3/5 from the field, his lowest single-game shot total of the season.

Unlike some teams headed to Indianapolis, the Badgers have the NCAA Tournament to look forward to next week. But with a conference championship on the line, there is no doubt that their focus will be on the task at hand.

"We are who we are and now we go on to ‘next’,” Ryan said. “And next is the Big Ten Tournament.”