Badgers Pulverize Purdue in their Eighth Straight Win

Wisconsin Badgers are knocking on the door to a one seed. There are only a couple teams hotter than Wisconsin right now with those being Virginia, North Carolina and Florida. Other than that, everyone is defecating the bed around them. No one seems like they want to grab the final one seed right now meaning the door is definitely open a touch more for Wisconsin than it was a week or two ago. Wisconsin won their eighth straight B1G game, their longest streak since 1940-41, beating Purdue 76-70 where Frank Kaminksy delivers another big performance, Traevon Jackson continues his good play and Sam Dekker might be showing signs of fatigue.

This game was not a six point difference by any means as it felt more like a Badger blowout for most of the game. They held control for a majority of the game having a lead anywhere from eight to 15 points enforcing their will against Purdue. For the second straight game, Wisconsin held a team silent from the outside. AS certain points of the year, Badgers had some difficulties against perimeter shooting, but in the last two games, Penn State and Purdue shot 4/27 from the outside. Although these are not great three point shooting teams, holding the last two teams to shooting 14 percent is pretty impressive. 

Frank Kaminsky might have the highest ceiling on the team besides Dekker. Many people were not probably saying that at the beginning of the year, but he really came into his own as a basketball player. Kaminsky dropped 22 points going 8/11 from the field and making four of five three pointers. He also grabbed down five rebounds. I doubt the B1G has a most improved award but if they did, Kaminsky is the runaway winner. In his first two years, Kaminsky averaged three points a game and now his average is 13 points. A 10 point increase is phenomenal in just one year of basketball, and his ability to balance from being a shooter to a big man is strong. People forget how hard the balance is for big men as we saw Steve Novak and Brian Butch both struggle with that until their senior year. Frank The Tank is the most improved in the Big Ten and probably an All Big Ten player. 

There are a couple deep dark secrets about Wisconsin right now... One of them is Traevon Jackson improved in the last couple of week. He had 14 points and only took six shots in his third straight double-digit game. Granted, Jackson's field goal percentage is not strong for the season, but he made stuff happen on offense when others hit the skids. He might be a frustrating player for Wisconsin, yet something could be said for a guy whom has all sorts of confidence in the world. Jackson elevated his play in the past couple of games and that's extremely important for Wisconsin. I am still unsure how he will handle the March Madness pressure, but right now, it seems like Jackson is playing with the most confidence he has all season.   

One thing that has to be a worrisome thing for Wisconsin in the past two games is Sam Dekker's ineffectiveness. This was his second straight game where he failed to score in double-digits. Dekker only had two shots in the first half and finished with only seven making only one. Is it fair to wonder if the wear and tear of the B1G is starting to tire him out a bit? I think it would be something to assume at this point. Purdue and Penn State are not world-beaters meaning there is no real reason why Dekker would be struggling out there. He could also just be in a little slump which happened before this season with him. What I would like to see more is Dekker trying to work inside and move to the outside demanding the ball on the block looking to score in other ways versus just accepting Kaminsky and Jackson going off. Dekker's play will be something to watch. 

Wisconsin heads to Lincoln in a game that means a hell of a lot more for the home team than the team coming in from Madison. This is a March barometer test for Wisconsin. They will likely be favored by one or two with people not expecting much, but if Wisconsin wins especially by a large margin, they send a message to not only other B1G teams, but the entire nation. 

Charlie.  

Badgers Remix Their Style in Victory against Purdue

Wisconsin Badgers' season was a bit in flux. Even though they had lost three straight games to high-quality opponents, Wisconsin needed a win in the worst way against Purdue on Saturday afternoon. Badgers got the job done with a big second half where they adjusted their technique by getting to the free-throw line more as well as getting strong efforts from the entire starting five. Both teams were something Wisconsin lacked in the last three games. Did things change for Wisconsin for good or will this be an aberration?

This season Wisconsin's team has been known for their 3-point shooting ability, and how they live and die by the three although maybe the narrative should be 'Wisconsin wins games when they attack the lane and draw fouls.'  In three of Wisconsin's four wins, the Badgers went to the free-throw line at least 30 times. This game is much more encouraging versus the first two because Wisconsin made 80 percent of their free-throws versus a 60 and 70 percent clip in the other two games. If Badgers are making 80 percent of their free-throws and shooting 35 percent or more from three, they actually become a balanced team versus a team full of a 3-point shooters.

Bo Ryan has to hope this will be evidence Wisconsin's players need to go to the paint more often even when a 3-point shot is open. It is fair to say the Badgers fell in love with their ability to shoot the three. This happened in the last couple years too, and now if they can make a super secret pinky promise to keep playing this way, this will help Wisconsin go deeper in the tournament. Granted, the jury is still out regarding their defense. Purdue is not an offensive juggernaut by any means, and probably the next test for this defense is Ohio State on Saturday because let's be real, Northwestern will not win by utilizing an offensive explosion.

There is no such thing as PER in college basketball, and let's not try to create one yet this was probably one of the most efficient effort by Wisconsin's starting five in a long time. Good Traevon Jackson visited West Lafayette as he had 15 points with only three turnovers. Games like these are the reason Jackson stays in the starting lineup. With Purdue's star A.J. Hammonds in foul trouble, Frank Kaminsky went to work and Sam Dekker did not shoot great from the field yet got to the line eleven times, his highest of the season. If Dekker can figure out if his shot is not working, and he needs to get the rim, he becomes a much scarier player.

Wisconsin heads to Northwestern where trouble has lurked for them in years past on Wednesday, but the hope is they will keep winning before their showdown against Ohio State on Saturday where both teams will be in a situation where they need a marquee conference win. Let's see if Wisconsin can continue with this new style.

Charlie.