Streaking Badgers Face Tough Task in Bloomington

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.-Coming off by far their best performance of the season Saturday against Illinois, Wisconsin faces No. 2 Indiana at perhaps the best time possible. Although the Hoosiers (3-0 Big Ten, 15-1 Overall) have not beaten UW since the Kelvin Sampson era, the Badgers (3-0 Big Ten, 12-4 Overall) will have to have a near-perfect effort just to compete against an IU team that can make a good case as the best in the nation.

First and foremost, Wisconsin will have to get Indiana to play at a slower pace. The Hoosiers enter Tuesday night leading the nation scoring 87.9 points per game, a total at which UW simply cannot compete. But if there is a team out there destined to be the kryptonite for IU, it is the Badgers. In addition to winning 10 straight in the series, Wisconsin enters the game giving up just 50.2 points per game during its six-game winning streak and ranks sixth in the country in points allowed at just 54.7 per game for the year.

One of the hallmarks of Wisconsin basketball is ball security and that will have to be on display in Bloomington for the Badgers to be competitive. UW leads the nation turning the ball over just 8.9 times per game while Indiana forces a Big Ten-best 16.4 turnovers per contest. The Hoosiers play at times with their defense being their best offense, something that Wisconsin’s guards will have to neutralize in order to slow the pace of the game down to a level at which UW can be in a position to pull off the upset.

Though the 3-0 start for Indiana is perhaps unsurprising, many wrote off this UW team after a very unremarkable non-conference season that included four losses and just two wins against postseason-worthy competition. While wins over Nebraska and Penn State were anything but noteworthy, Saturday’s 23-point win over then-No. 12 Illinois got many a head turned back in the Badgers’ direction.

With first place in the loaded Big Ten conference on the line in this battle between the conference’s last two unbeaten teams, the stage is certainly set for UW to send shockwaves through the college basketball world with a victory at Assembly Hall.

Badgers Begin Defining Stretch With Statement Win

Having failed to notch a truly marquee win in non-conference play, Wisconsin men’s basketball entered the conference season in need of a few big ones in order to make a 15^th straight NCAA Tournament. Although they were able to avoid setbacks against lowly Penn State and Nebraska last week, the defining part of the Badgers’ season didn’t begin until Saturday’s game against 12^th-ranked Illinois (1-3 Big Ten, 14-4 Overall), the beginning of an 11-game stretch in which every opponent is a legitimate NCAA Tournament contender. On the strength of a 14-0 run to start the game, Wisconsin (3-0 Big Ten, 12-4 Overall) got the statement victory they desperately needed, defeating the Illini by a final score of 74-51.

Saturday’s effort by UW was exactly what the Badger faithful had been waiting for. Wisconsin played with a ton of energy from the opening tip and was able to quickly snap out of their two distinct “sloppy” periods, stretches of poor play that have been an issue all season.

“We were knocking down shots finally…” UW senior forward Jared Berggren said. “It was good to finally get a complete effort.”

Though the shots were falling, and that was certainly a big part of the blowout, Wisconsin won again with defense first. The Badgers held Illinois scoreless over the first 6:47 and kept the Illini in single digits through over 16 minutes of play. Despite a 10-0 second half run, the Illini were never able to close within less than 18, finishing the game at just 35% shooting and 2-for-14 from three-point range. To make matters even worse, Wisconsin dominated on the boards, finishing with 18 offensive rebounds and a 43-24 overall rebounding advantage.

“A lot of credit goes to our scout team…” UW senior forward Mike Bruesewitz said. “They did a great job of getting us ready.”

While Saturday’s win might get the Badgers back on the radar, there is plenty of work left to do in order to solidify a spot in the NCAA Tournament and to compete for a Big Ten title. That work begins with Tuesday night’s matchup at No. 5 Indiana, one of just three remaining unbeaten teams (including UW) in conference play.

Despite squeaking out a victory last week in Lincoln, the Badgers have struggled away from the Kohl Center this season and Indiana is arguably the best team in the country playing on its home floor. With 10 more games against potential tournament teams before a “respite” at Northwestern, the Badgers cannot afford to rest on the laurels of a good start and a statement win.

“That’s probably as good as we’ve played all year…” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “But tomorrow we are practicing for next. That’s how short lived this win will be.”

More than anything else, the Badgers need to get back to doing what they do best: playing solid defense, taking care of the ball, and taking good shots. Saturday was one of the first games in which they were able to do that on a consistent basis, a good sign heading into this difficult and defining stretch of play.

“The guys are working at it, but we will see what happens in the next game,” Ryan said of the defensive effort. “They are trying to learn the rules, trying to learn our absolutes. It’s a challenge every day.”

“We’ve definitely gotten much better,” Brusewitz added. “But that’s just because we’ve had more possessions and more practice at it.”

The hallmark of Wisconsin basketball over the past decade has been consistency and that is exactly what UW seems to be finding just as the right moment. If the Badgers are able to maintain that consistency over the next month, they will once again find themselves with a high seed come Selection Sunday.

Badgers Overcome Shooting Woes In Road Win

No matter how many times you look at Wisconsin’s road record in Big Ten play, the conference’s best over the last decade, it seems that the Badgers will always be known for their tendency to shoot the ball poorly away from the friendly confines of the Kohl Center. Despite shooting just 26% from the field in a 19-point first half, the Badgers (2-0 Big Ten, 11-4 overall) were able to squeak out a 47-41 win and head home to Madison with an unblemished conference record.  

Senior forwards Ryan Evans and Jared Berggren played a big part in helping UW get the win despite missing 10 free throws and hitting just 25% of its shots from beyond the three-point arc. Although the two big men were primary culprits when it came to struggling at the charity stripe, each found a way to make a major contribution. After failing to convert a field goal opportunity in the first half, Berggren put the Badgers’ offense on his back in the final 20 minutes, knocking down six shots en route to a game-high 13 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Evans, despite missing 6 of his 8 free throws, grabbed 14 rebounds to go along with 10 points, giving him his 4^th double double of the season.

Though perhaps unable to stand out in the box score, sophomore guard Traevon Jackson had what was arguably his breakout performance for the Badgers. Again struggling early on, Jackson came up big when UW needed him most, finishing inside late in the shot clock to extend Wisconsin’s lead to 4 with 3:36 left and following it up with a big-time step back jump shot to put the Badgers up 5 and ice the game with less than 35 seconds left. In addition to his 4 point, 2 assist, and 1 rebound stat line, Jackson was a big part of the UW effort defensively, keeping the NU backcourt in check while UW struggled to put points on the board.

With the victory, UW moves to 2-0 in conference play for the 1^st time since 2010. Having avoided tripping over the first two hurdles in conference play, the Badgers now enter an equally crucial stretch against the upper half of the Big Ten. After a mid-week break, Wisconsin will host No. 11 Illinois on Saturday before traveling to No. 5 Indiana and Iowa over the next week.

Given the strength of the Big Ten this season, games against the conference’s “bottom feeders” such as Nebraska (0-2 Big Ten, 9-5 overall) are crucial as the Badgers try to reach the NCAA Tournament for a 15^th consecutive season. Although this week’s victories over Penn State and Nebraska were anything but pretty, UW has found a way to get the job done.

Badgers Close Out Non-Conference Play With Blowout Win

A week after returning from finals with a victory over in-state rival Milwaukee, Wisconsin men's basketball continued in its winning ways with an 87-51 win over Stamford in the team's final game before Big Ten play. Bucking an early season trend of slow starts, the Badgers (9-4) quickly stomped on the visiting Bulldogs (3-11) with an 8-0 run over the game's first four-plus minutes.

Returning to the starting lineup for the first time since late November, senior forward Mike Bruesewitz had his best effort of the season. The St Paul, Minn native scored 9 of UW's first 13 points and finished the game with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in just 25 minutes. Fellow senior Ryan Evans started slow but finished with a team-high 14 points and 12 rebounds while also notching 3 steals.

Having struggled from beyond the arc at times throughout the season, the Badgers woke up and knocked down 12 of 22 attempts from three-point range, all but ensuring a third straight win heading into the Big Ten opener against Penn State. After heading into the halftime break with a 47-19 lead, UW kept pounding away, eventually building that lead up to 41 points late in the second half.

Wisconsin now has four days to prepare for a crucial conference opener next Thursday. Having lost guard Tim Frazier, Penn State is likely destined for the Big Ten cellar and represents a "must win" game right out of the starting blocks for Wisconsin.

Badgers Return From Studies To Past Non-Conference Test

After a 10-day layoff for final exams, Wisconsin men’s basketball got back in the swing of things early on as they rolled to a 74-53 win over Milwaukee. Once again trailing at the first media timeout, the Badgers (8-4) responded with scores on each of their next 8 possessions, sparking a 33-8 run to close out the first half with a 41-18 lead.

Senior Ryan Evans led the way for UW in what was a very balanced effort against the struggling Panthers (3-10) as all five starters finished with at least 5 points. After an inconsistent first 11 games, Evans made 3-of-4 free throws and finished the game with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists to lead the way in all three categories for UW.

Sophomore Traevon Jackson also had a career night offensively, finishing with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Though the Ohio native continued to struggle at times handling the ball, his performance on both ends of the floor showed marked improvement from previous games against Green Bay and Marquette. Fellow guard George Marshall posted a +25 first half and finished the game with 6 points on 2-of-4 shooting. The combination of positive performances from these two guards was clearly the brightest spot in a game full of UW highlights.

The Panthers once again struggled to put the ball in the basket, a theme in what has been an utterly disappointing season. UWM only managed to shoot a tick above 30% from the floor in the first half and failed to reach the 60-point mark despite getting comfortable offensively in the 2^nd half.

While the outcome was never put in doubt, the Badgers cannot be happy with their sloppy play in the second half. After pushing the lead to 27, UW allowed Milwaukee to pull within 17 on the strength of a 12-2 run made possible by poor shot selection and a few carless turnovers on the part of Wisconsin.

Sloppiness aside, Wisconsin finally hit free throws on a consistent basis. Coming into the game at just 63% as a team, UW made 11-of-13 at the line on Saturday. Though not under a tremendous amount of pressure, these were free throws Wisconsin wasn’t making in the early part of the season and are free throws UW will have to make in order to compete in Big Ten play.

The Badgers now head home for a couple days to rest and enjoy the Christmas holiday before getting back at it on Wednesday in preparation for their final non-conference game Saturday against Stamford. Conference play is now less than two weeks away and having left itself little room for error, UW must take advantage of what little time they do have to get ready for a crucial opening stretch.  

Freshman Send Badgers Into Finals With a Win

After a poor effort Saturday against Marquette, Wisconsin was looking for a bounce-back performance in their final game before finals Wednesday against Green Bay. Though the Badgers once again struggled at the starting gates, they were able to erase a 7-point first half deficit and cruise to a 65-54 win over the Phoenix.

Perhaps the most important contribution for UW was the six points from freshman guard George Marshall. After the Badgers started 1-for-10 from the field, Marshall replaced fellow guard Traevon Jackson and provided a much-needed spark with back-to-back three-point buckets to trim the Green Bay (3-6) lead to just three.

While Marshall’s spark wasn’t enough to immediately give UW the lead, the run that began with senior forward Ryan Evans’ first two made free throws was ultimately enough to put Wisconsin (7-4) ahead for good. Having watched Evans miss 8-of-9 free throws Saturday, it looked as if the early success at the line was enough to give the Badgers a confidence boost as they finished the half on an 18-2 run.

Making his second consecutive start, freshman Sam Dekker had another solid effort, finishing with 10 points and 6 rebounds on 3-of-7 shooting. But the surprise of the night had to be the performance of freshman guard Zak Showalter. The former walk-on had his most extended opportunity on the floor and made the most of it, finishing with a career-high 8 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

All told, the three freshman were responsible for 24 of Wisconsin’s 65 points, especially important with junior guard Ben Brust only able to muster 6 points on 2-of-7 shooting. The 22 points Wisconsin got from its bench was another reason it was able to overcome an inconsistent effort to get the comfortable win.

Even with the quick start, Wisconsin managed to keep Green Bay in check most of the night. The UW front line held Green Bay junior forward Alec Brown, a 7-footer with NBA potential, to just 8 points on 3-of-11 shooting before he fouled out in the final minute.

One area the Badgers are still struggling to take care of is rebounding. Wisconsin was outrebounded 35-32 Wednesday night as the Phoenix were able to grab 11 offensive rebounds and convert them into 11 second-chance points. The Badgers have now been out-rebounded 5 times this season and are now 1-4 when that occurs.

Wisconsin now has 10 days before its next game as the Badgers break for finals starting this weekend. Milwaukee will visit the Kohl Center on December 22 in UW’s penultimate non-conference matchup. The Big Ten season lies just 22 days away and with just two more games to prepare, UW looks far from ready to compete. Though Wednesday’s win certainly rights the ship, the Badgers are still squarely on the proverbial bubble as they wrap up non-conference play.