Badgers Get Run out of Breslin Despite Poor Spartan Shooting

Wisconsin did not get Michigan State’s best on Thursday night. The Izzone was on spring break, the band was out of town, and the Spartans couldn’t find the backside of a barn in the first half. UW’s problem was that they couldn’t find it either. The Badgers (11-6 Big Ten, 20-10 overall) continued to struggle shooting the basketball, making just 15-of-51 (29%) from the field en route to a resounding 58-43 defeat in East Lansing.

Despite its poor start, Wisconsin did climb back into the game late in the first half and looked poised to head into the locker room with momentum. The Badgers took an eight-point deficit down to four as it took over with 38 seconds left for what should have been the final possession of the opening half. Inexplicably, senior forward Mike Bruesewitz attempted and missed a three-point shot with over eight seconds remaining, allowing the Spartans to rebound and feed sophomore guard Travis Trice for a deep three-pointer that sent UW into the half trailing 25-18.

“It’s a big momentum swing anytime you can’t hit a three pointer like that at the buzzer…” senior forward Jared Berggren said. “They definitely fed off that and we kind of let them get rolling from there.”

Although the Badgers missed their fair share of makeable shots, the shot selection was once again well below average. After missing 17 straight attempts from three-point range to end Sunday’s loss against Purdue, UW attempted 23 three’s Thursday night, making just four (17%) and giving Michigan State plenty of opportunities to grab a long rebound and run in transition. With the Badgers adding an uncharacteristic 17 turnovers (eight in the first half), the recipe for a blowout defeat was right there for the Spartans’ taking.

“They were jumping passing lanes every time we tried to attack,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “I thought they were very aggressive with their hands.”

“We just need to take care of the ball better,” junior guard Ben Brust said. “17 turnovers is just mind-boggling.”

Even while the Spartans were struggling out of the gate, it appeared the Badgers were in for another tough night. Wisconsin allowed 2^nd chance points on two of MSU’s first four possessions, failing to keep the Spartans in check despite forcing difficult shots during the onset of the game.

Although the Badgers would briefly take the lead on a Bruesewitz three (snapping a streak of 20 straight misses dating back to Sunday), it would last just 44 seconds and be the last UW would hold before a 10-0 MSU run put control of the game squarely in the hands of the home squad. Though Wisconsin would cut into that lead with a 6-2 run of its own in response, the end-of-half-sequence ending with Trice’s three would all but seal the Badgers’ fate.

“We were still in there early,” Brust said. “Then we just got into a hole and couldn’t get out of it.”

If a seven-point halftime deficit wasn’t the nail in the coffin, a 16-0 run by Michigan State following a jump shot from senior forward Jared Berggren would put to bed any thoughts of an upset in East Lansing. The Spartans took advantage of miss after miss by Wisconsin and turned a 25-20 lead into a 41-20 advantage with just 12:20 left.

“Its always a combination of things. What they’re doing what we’re not doing…” Ryan said. “You just cant have those kinds of spells.”

Having squandered its final opportunity at a Big Ten title, Wisconsin now must take care of business Sunday at Penn State and get help from either Indiana (at Michigan) or Illinois (at Ohio State) in order to maintain Ryan’s streak of 11 straight top-4 finishes in Big Ten play and to avoid a spot in next Thursday’s play-in game at the Big Ten Tournament.

“With this team, what they’ve done. I’m not trading them…” Ryan said. “We still have another regular season game and that’s all I think about.”

Although Wisconsin is in the midst of by-far its worst stretch this season, the Badgers still head into postseason play knowing they have the ability to beat any team in the country. Now is the time to prove it. 

Badgers Beat Themselves in Senior Day Defeat

The old adage goes something like: “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again”. Unfortunately, the Badgers bought into that sentiment a bit too much on Sunday afternoon, missing their final 17 attempts from three-point range in a 69-56 loss at the hands of Purdue.

“For it to come to an end playing at the Kohl Center like this, its an emotional moment, especially after a loss,” UW senior forward Jared Berggren said. "This is a pretty big loss for us so it hurts.”

The Badgers (11-5 Big Ten, 20-9 overall) have no one to blame but themselves for their first Senior Day loss in 12 years under head coach Bo Ryan. After starting out 6-for-10 from three-point range building a 36-24 lead, UW was only able to take a 5-point lead into halftime, failing to score over the final 4:24 of the first half. That lull allowed the Boilermakers (7-9, 14-15) to score 7 straight points heading into the break and erase any thought that this would be an easy Wisconsin victory.  

“We had them down,” senior forward Mike Bruesewitz said. “We just didn’t step on their throats when we needed to.”

Early on, it looked as if the necessary adjustments had indeed been made; with Berggren being fed underneath for 6 straight points to give UW a 42-33 lead with just over 17 minutes left. But after the quick start, Wisconsin once again began to settle for and miss jump shots. In the end, UW finished just 6-of-28 from three-point range and seemed unwilling to make an effort at getting the ball into the post in order to give Berggren a chance to wear down Purdue’s inexperienced front line.

“We really talked about {Sam} Dekker and {Ben} Brust and trying to get them out of rhythm,” Purdue head coach Matt Painter said. “We know Jared Berggren is able to make shots but he has struggled this whole year and we were willing to live with that.” 

Entering Sunday, the Kohl Center had been the lone Big Ten arena in which Boilermaker seniors DJ Byrd and Dru Anthrop had yet to win. Byrd made sure he checked Madison off the list, blitzing the Badgers for 22 points on 6-of-9 from three-point range. Between Byrd’s shooting from the outside and Purdue’s seeming invincibility in the two-man game, Purdue was able to exploit the Wisconsin defense unlike any other team during the Big Ten season.

“They were getting {those shots} in the first half too and they weren’t exactly hitting them,” Ryan said. “When they start getting the drives going and you start squeezing a little and the three-point shot comes open. They took advantage of that like we have against teams.”

Coming off three straight wins by a combined total of 81 points, Sunday was a massive let down for a Badger team that seemed to be hitting its stride just at the right moment. Sophomore guard Traevon Jackson took another big step back in his development, especially in the 2^nd half. Although he made 3 of his 4 field goal attempts and finished with 6 points and 3 assists, Jackson committed 4 costly 2^nd half turnovers, the first two igniting a 19-3 Purdue run that transformed a 9-point UW lead into a 7-point deficit.

“When you are missing shots, the basket gets smaller, you get a little tighter and we maybe forced a few passes that we shouldn’t have trying to make a great play instead of a good play…” Ryan said. “For us to get in that kind of hole, that’s pretty tough to come back from.”

Generally Wisconsin can live with 6 made three-point shots. The problem Sunday was the 27 attempts. During Big Ten play, UW has averaged 26.8 3-point attempts per game in its 5 losses and just 20.5 attempts in 11 wins. While they have been able to squeak out wins despite hot and cold shooting, what has gotten the Badgers in trouble has been the inability to show patience when the shots aren’t falling and to instead work the ball into the interior.

“We’ve had games like this before that we have found ways to come out on the winning side when shots aren’t dropping for us,” Berggren added. “You would like to be able to rely on your defense on nights like that when shots aren’t dropping but tonight we weren’t able to do that.”

Wisconsin has never finished outside of the top-4 in 11 years under Bo Ryan and while that streak looked safe heading into Sunday, this latest Badger defeat has brought the possibility of a fifth place finish very much back into the picture.  UW is currently in a four-way tie for 2^nd place that will ultimately settle the 2-5 seeds in the Big Ten Tournament, with just three of the four teams being given all-important byes in the opening round (Wisconsin sits tied with Ohio State for third place in the Big Ten, just a game ahead of Michigan and a game behind Michigan State, UW’s next opponent).

Last season it was a road loss at Iowa that took Wisconsin out of contention for the Big Ten title. Back then, UW responded with a road upset of Ohio State to begin a run of three straight wins to finish out the regular season. After Sunday’s loss, the Badgers can only hope for a repeat performance.

Badgers Roll To Victory in Evanston

Though you wouldn’t have known looking at the sea of red in the stands Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena, the Badgers did indeed pick up a road win in Evanston, defeating the Wildcats (4-10 Big Ten, 13-14 overall) by a final of 69-41. Running out to a 9-0 lead before the first media break, Wisconsin (10-4, 19-8) never looked back, increasing its lead to 28-12 at the half and cruising home to a comfortable victory.

“I said it in the huddle, ‘we’ve got to make sure we step on their throats early and not let them hang around’…” senior forward Mike Bruesewitz said. “If you let teams hang around, that’s when upsets happen.”

While fouls and the score left him with limited playing time in the second half, senior center Jared Berggren made his presence known from the opening tip. The Princeton, Minn native picked up 8 points and 6 rebounds in the first half, finishing with 12 points and 8 rebounds on 5-of-0 shooting for the evening.

Meanwhile, the injury-riddled Wildcats were never able to find a rhythm on either end of the floor. After finally getting on the scoreboard a full 5:29 into the game, Northwestern managed just three more field goals in a first half that left it with just 12 points, 7 below Wisconsin’s previous season-low for points allowed (19 at Nebraska). Though the Cats eventually upped their field goal percentage to 29% in a 29 point second half, they never made a run big enough to put a scare in the visiting Badgers.

“They’ve got some guys missing. But when you prepare, you prepare for a system…” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “We just made them work hard to get good looks and that’s what you have to do against Northwestern to have a chance.”

Given Northwestern’s lack of size and depth, it was no surprise that Wisconsin dominated the interior game. The Badgers outrebounded Northwestern 47-22 for the night and finished with 28 points in the paint, a full 22 more than their opponent.

“We didn’t knock down shots right away,” Bruesewitz said. “But we were persistent on the glass and they had trouble rebounding out of their zone.”

Junior guard Ben Brust, a native of suburban Chicago, was able to erase a slow start in front of the hometown crowd en route to another strong 12 point, 8-rebound game. Sophomore guard Traevon Jackson also had a solid effort, taking the Badgers into the locker room with a 15-footer at the halftime buzzer for two of his 8 points. Jackson also finished with 7 rebounds as the Badger guards took advantage of Northwestern’s lacking size.

Freshman Sam Dekker finished in double digits for a 4^th straight game, picking up 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in 18 minutes off the bench. In all, 6 different Badgers finished with multiple made field goals, allowing UW to command a 27-9 advantage in points off the bench.

Wisconsin now has six days off before their next game, a home date with Nebraska on February 26^th. After a stretch of hard-fought battles and road tests, the Badgers will no doubt benefit from a bit of time away from the grind. With the final two home dates coming in the week ahead, UW will have plenty of time to be prepared to take care of business as they welcome two relatively weak opponents in Nebraska and Purdue. Still, if the Badgers are to contend for a Big Ten title they will have to take care of business.

“We approach every game the same,” Berggren said. “Regardless of who we are playing, its another chance to play.”

Badgers Title Hopes Take a Hit in Minnesota

In over 100 years of basketball at Wisconsin, the Badgers had never played in three consecutive overtime games. Thursday night that streak came to a close, with UW losing a 58-53 overtime decision to rival Minnesota to snap a run of two consecutive overtime victories. Wisconsin (8-4 Big Ten, 17-8 overall) led 49-43 with free throws coming but failed to score over the final 5:08 of regulation, ultimately running their scoreless drought to 8:48 before Sam Dekker made two free throws in overtime with the game already slipping out of reach.

Once again, UW struggled to put the ball in the basket. In addition to an uncharacteristic 11 turnovers, the Badgers shot just 18-for-59 from the field (30.5%) including a 7-for-28 (25%) effort from three-point range. While Wisconsin was able to hold the Gophers to just 36.7% from the field, it was unable to overcome 7 misses at the free throw line, six coming after the six minute mark of the second half.

The inconsistent play of sophomore guard Traevon Jackson hit a low point in Minneapolis. Jackson finished with just 7 points on 3-of-14 from the field while being credited for three turnovers. The turnover figure was fairly generous, with Jackson losing possession on two other occasions before a jump ball kept the ball in UW hands.

Adding to the Badgers’ misery was the continued offensive struggles of senior forward Ryan Evans. Although he did finish with a game-high 11 rebounds, Evans once again struggled to put the ball in the basket, finishing just 2-for-8 from the field and 2-for-8 at the free throw line. During Wisconsin’s second half drought, Evans missed three consecutive free throws, any one of which would have been enough to seal a Badger victory.

Though they led for most of the game, Wisconsin did not deserve to leave Minneapolis with a victory. The Badgers allowed Minnesota (6-6, 18-7) to finish the first half on an 8-0 run over the final 2:50 and a 6-0 run over the final 5:08 of regulation. Senior forward Mike Bruesewitz opened the door by committing a baseline violation with 22.6 seconds left, erasing what appeared to be a game-winning charge taken by the Minnesota native on the previous play. Minnesota senior guard Joe Coleman was fouled by freshman Sam Dekker on the ensuing play and made both of his free throws to even the score at 49.

Wisconsin had the final look but once again came up with a terrible offensive possession, managing to get nothing more than an off-balance and contested jumper from Jackson that didn’t even catch a piece of the rim. After two more misses at the charity stripe by Evans, Minnesota sophomore guard Andre Hollins (21 points, 5 rebounds) capitalized with a three-pointer on the ensuing possession, giving the Gophers a 52-49 lead they would never relinquish.

If there was a bright spot for the Badgers, it was once again the play of freshman wing Sam Dekker. The Sheboygan native got off to a slow start but gave the Badgers a needed spark in the second half, finishing with a game-high 14 points on 3-of-7 shooting. Dekker’s back-to-back three-point shots midway through the second half turned a 39-37 deficit into a 43-41 lead that for a while looked to be enough for a 5^th-straight UW victory over the rival Gophers.

Now halfway through arguably the most important weekend of the Big Ten season, the Badgers need desperately to bounce back as they host No. 13 Ohio State on Sunday afternoon. The Buckeyes have been in the top 10 most of the season but have struggled of late, dropping two straight last week to Michigan and Indiana before nearly losing a third straight when they hosted Northwestern Thursday night.

Except for a shocking 63-60 win last February in Columbus, the Badgers have struggled since knocking off a then-undefeated Ohio State team back in 2011. After its 58-49 win in Columbus last month, OSU has now won three of four over Wisconsin. With both teams entering play at 8-4 in the Big Ten, it would be hard to overstate the importance of Sunday’s contest.

Wisconsin will have to start by keeping junior forward DeShaun Thomas at bay on the offensive end. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native torched the Badgers for 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting in the last meeting between these two teams and is leading the conference with 20.1 points per game. Outside of Thomas and junior guard Aaron Craft, Ohio State lacks much in the way of experience, giving Wisconsin a golden opportunity to get back to its winning ways in the friendly confines of the Kohl Center.

If there is one thing we know at this point in the year, Wisconsin will be playing a tight game. In addition to three consecutive overtime games, the Badgers have played four consecutive games at the Kohl Center within a single possession. Although behind the eight ball after Thursday’s loss, a fourth straight win in Madison on Sunday would keep the Badgers alive for that elusive conference title in a very competitive Big Ten race.

Magical Finish Caps Off Big Week For Badgers

Wisconsin was two last second shots away from a winless week at the Kohl Center. But what was oh so close to the last nail in the Badgers’ coffin ended up becoming a home stand that just may mark the defining moment in a Big Ten title run. Two game-tying three-point shots in the final seconds and two overtime wins later, Wisconsin is very much alive in a crazy Big Ten championship race.

Before I go any further, let me comment on the rushing of the court Saturday. Yes, I did say in my column on Friday that a storming was unjustified in the case of UW, but circumstances do indeed play a part. A game-tying half court shot at the buzzer is one of those circumstances. So this time, the Grateful Red gets a free pass (but please don’t blow it next week when Ohio State visits).

As crazy as the final seconds were, Saturday’s game was a classic from start to finish. After the Badgers jumped out to a 23-14 lead midway through the first half, neither team led by more than 6 the rest of the way. Wisconsin couldn’t find a way to slow down Michigan’s backcourt duo of Burke and Hardaway yet somehow found itself within a possession in the game’s final seconds. After 40 minutes, 8 ties, 11 lead changes, and a half court shot, the Badgers were even with the No. 3 team in the country.

Michigan 60, Wisconsin 60. Overtime.

This is what the 2012-2013 edition of Wisconsin basketball is all about. UW committed 14 turnovers, allowed Michigan’s star guards to combine for 37 points, and gave up 32 points in the paint. Looking at the statistics alone, the Badgers had no business taking down a team as talented and efficient as Michigan, even in the friendly confines of the Kohl Center. Somehow they found a way to do what looked to be all but impossible on paper.

“We are just going to find a way to get it done,” senior forward Jared Berggren said. “It doesn’t matter what people perceive our talent level to be.”

While this year has certainly taken it to a new level, scrappiness has been a hallmark of the Badger program since Dick Bennett turned UW into a legitimate Big Ten contender back in the late 1990s. As they have for the past fifteen years, Wisconsin keeps itself within striking distance by playing tough defense no matter how poorly they are shooting the ball. Some may say that UW’s defensive statistics are simply a result of their slow-paced offense. Those people haven’t watched this team play.

Michigan entered play on Saturday leading the Big Ten in practically every offensive statistic. Only Wisconsin turned the ball over fewer times than the Wolverines (that is no longer the case after a +7 margin for Michigan in Madison) and Michigan’s 50.3% field goal percentage was tops in the conference as well. Even though Hardaway and Burke caught fire in the 2^nd half, UW held the Wolverines to just 39% shooting for the game.

At times, Wisconsin is tough to watch. I am always going to be a fan of “Wisconsin basketball” but I totally understand those who would rather watch paint dry than be stuck with two hours of slow-paced, low scoring basketball. But whether you like it or not, the Badgers have a system that works and when things click like they did on Saturday, it is fun to watch.

More importantly, at least from a fan’s perspective, this Wisconsin team simply does not quit. Time and time again they have found themselves with their backs against the wall in the final moments, finding a way to get the job done seemingly every time. Even in a season that began with the loss of its starting point guard and continued with the fairly prolonged absence of an emotional leader, UW heads into the home stretch very much alive for a conference title and well within reach of a top-4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“It feels good. I’m just so proud of these guys,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “This is a group that just finds different ways {to get the job done}.”

All of those who thought this would be the year Ryan failed to keep the Badgers inside the Big Ten’s top 4 are starting to retract their statements at a rapid clip.

“We’ve got a bunch of dudes who are gritty, tough, and play the game the right way…” senior forward Mike Bruesewitz said. “I’ll play with these guys anywhere.”

There is still plenty of basketball to be played before we even reach the postseason. As they have shown time and time again, this Badgers team could easily go out and lay an egg against Northwestern, Purdue, Nebraska, or even Penn State. At the same time, they could just as easily take down the likes of Minnesota, Ohio State, or Michigan State, the combination of all three likely being enough to bring a Big Ten title to Madison for the first time since 2008.

Are more ups and downs inevitable? Yes. But if going through 7:00 scoreless droughts is what it takes to experience highs like Saturday afternoon, I know I for one am fine with that deal.