Big Huskers Second Half Buries Badgers

Nebraska basketball is not known for much in college sports. People do not talk about Nebraska basketball and winning, it is just something does not work like lamb and tuna fish. But head coach Tim Miles has led on a renaissance this season with Nebraska making a push into the NCAA Tournament, but they needed a win against Wisconsin on Sunday night in what was perceived to be the Super Bowl of Nebraska basketball. Wisconsin could not handle the Huskers as they fell for the first time in nine games falling 77-68 in a game where Wisconsin was uncharacteristic in many ways missing free throws, turnovers and struggling to handle a transition offense plus should Badger fans push the panic button on Sam Dekker?

Badgers were taken out of their game by Nebraska. This is not your older brother's Badger team where they slow it down and play for the last shot, but at the same time, this Wisconsin team does need some balance to their game. They are not going to run in transition and push the pace of the game. Even with their potent offense, they want to do it in a way that's Wisconsin basketball and nothing else. But Nebraska moved the needle, and it was evident it frustrated the Badgers in more ways than one. 

Nebraska forced eleven turnovers on Wisconsin, their highest total since the win against Florida in the second game of the season. A blue chip way to beat the Badgers is getting them to turn the ball over. That rarely happens like an attractive woman talking to me at the bar.  The majority of the turnovers came from Traevon Jackson and Nigel Hayes. For Jackson, that is something Badgers hope is a mere blip on the radar and nothing more, because if he becomes turnover happy in postseason play, it could be curtains for a deep run in March. Hayes is a younger player, and games like these will happen so there should not be much concern there. 

The turnovers were not the only thing that hurt Wisconsin on Sunday evening. They missed 10 free throws going a little over 50 percent from the free throw line. When the Badgers suffered some of their defeats this season, it was more so due to the fact, they could not get to the free throw line versus missing free throws. Wisconsin is one of the better teams at shooting free throws coming in a tie for 25th at 73.2 percent so this is likely an aberration and nothing to worry about for the long term.  Additionally, Hayes had the majority of misses for this team. This might be a concern. With his free throw shooting being at a dismal 59 percent, it is hard to make a case why Hayes should be out there late in games if the Badgers are either leading or trailing by a close margin. 

Another concern might be the wear and tear of Sam Dekker, the Badgers best player. It seems like he truly needs a couple weeks off versus a couple days. We realize this is not happening, but Dekker does not play until Friday meaning he does get a little time to rest yet he continues to struggle in general. He only had nine points on six shots with only one attempt from three. This is his third straight game where he scored in single digits. In those three games, Dekker is shooting 26.7 percent from the field going 6/22. Additionally, he is only 1/7 from three. What does this mean?  Is Dekker not getting the ball enough where he disengages a bit and disappears from the action?  Or is Dekker not wanting to force shots at this point because he realizes the struggle bus he currently is on?  Not sure, it could be a mix of the two, but if Wisconsin wants a deep run, Dekker needs to be better than the last three games of the season. 

Even in the games where Wisconsin hit the rough patch, Dekker did not really have games like this one minus the Ohio State defeat where he only saw 19 minutes on the court. He needs to reestablish himself in Indianapolis as a go-to scorer. If that does not happen, Wisconsin can still win games but it is a lot harder on the four other starters along with the rest of the roster.  For me, Dekker's output in the next couple games will be the most interesting part of Wisconsin. 

Badgers likely ran into a buzzsaw in Lincoln with a team desperate for a win plus they saw others fall this weekend. Could it cost them a number one seed? Probably not. If Wisconsin rolls through the Big Ten Tournament beating the likes of Michigan State and Michigan to do it, they probably could be a one seed especially if other teams would happen to fall off the face of the map. The seeding probably will not matter as they will get the in-state advantage unless they lose their first Big Ten game to Minnesota or Penn State. This should be just a blip for the Badgers. 

Charlie.  

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' Guards Deliver on Sundays

Any time a Big Ten team travels on the road, there is no guarantee that they are winning the game no matter how much it seems like a given. Wisconsin-Penn State felt like one of those games with the possibility of going down to the wire especially at an early Sunday morning game in a half-full gym. Badgers grinded out the game and maintained their lead despite the Nittany Lions late charge, winning 71-66 with a big effort from Josh Gasser and Ben Brust along the Badgers finding a way to win without their big men having strong games.

The most underrated player on Wisconsin's roster is Josh Gasser. People really do not look at him when talking about Wisconsin because Gasser does not do anything 'great', but he does a ton of good things. He scored 15 points in a win with his fourth straight game with double-digit scoring yet people sort of forget Gasser is doing these sort of things for Wisconsin. Additionally, the shot selection has been great as he is averaging 66 percent from the field in these four games. Gasser held Penn State's star Tim Frazier in check with 10 points on only eight shots on the defensive end. The fact he still has another year at Wisconsin tells me there is still a ceiling for him.

After a couple games of struggle, Ben Brust had a big second half against Indiana and followed it up with another big game on Sunday.  He filled up the box score in more ways than just raining in three pointers as he added a couple rebounds, assists and a steal along with making threes. Brust had four threes in the game plus found a way to score otherwise getting 14 points total for the game. Wisconsin does not need to be a crazed outside shooting team when Brust is on point. It almost feels like when Brust is off, Wisconsin tries to force their outside shot to pick up Brust. This is what the Badgers need from Brust in March if they want to make a deep run. If him and Gasser can provide nearly 30 points like they did on Sunday, their odds of winning games are going to very high.  

What's something that might go unnoticed with Wisconsin's win against Penn State was Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky both struggled mightily despite the Badgers strong effort. This is the first time in awhile where we have seen both of them struggle and Wisconsin win the game. That's extremely important even though Penn State are not world-beaters by any means. Additionally, this means I am curious to see if the result would have  differ if this was an average or above average Big Ten. If Wisconsin can figure out way to win without those two being at their peak performance, that makes this team an even bigger threat in March.

It appears like Wisconsin is locked into playing in-state for their first two games of their NCAA Tournament unless they find a way to lose their last three games which is highly unbelievable. Badgers rounded back into form at the right time of the season and will likely get rewarded for it.

Charlie.

Badgers' Big Second Half Makes the Difference

The fall from grace for Wisconsin started when they fell to Indiana on a Tuesday night in Bloomington.
Hoosiers played great and the Badgers' defensive effort was mediocre at best. They got off to a slow start on Tuesday at Kohl Center. Indiana had the lead heading into halftime as Wisconsin turned in a poor shooting performance as well as a poor defensive effort. Everything changed in the second half leading Wisconsin to a 69-58 victory. This is the exact reason why Wisconsin could beat almost any team and lose to any team in the nation due to their reliance on the jump shot.

What a bizarre game this was for Wisconsin with under 20 points in the first period and then getting 50 in the next period. Obviously, this leads to poor shooting with Wisconsin shooting 25 percent from the field before half and nearly 62 percent after it. Badgers did not play a complete game, and we can debate all day whether that is important in the grand scheme of things. I would say the importance of it would be a concern that Wisconsin becomes comfortable believing they can sort of 'turn it on' whenever the Badgers want versus attacking early and often.

This was the first game in recent memory where Wisconsin did not get anything from their bench, but that was fine as Badgers had all five starters in double-figures led by Sam Dekker. Amid the poor team shooting, Dekker had another strong performance from the field making five of seven shots, only shooting two threes making one and getting to the line five times. This is what you want from Dekker. The ability to attack the basket and get fouls instead of launching threes in an attempt to get him going. It seems like the Badgers power forward is coming into stride with how to create opportunities for him. This is a positive thing to see from Dekker.

Ben Brust seemed to have fallen into a slump in the past couple of games. Badgers fans started to get restless when it came to Brust continuing to shoot the ball in the first half and finding iron. He only made three of his 10 shots on Tuesday and nine of them came from behind the arc. All of his damage came in the second half with a fury of threes. In the last two games, the Badgers shooting guard had nine points total going 4/18 from the field and while this game does not look perfect on paper, it seems like Brust started to get himself going again. I also think people looked way too far into it. He had 20 points two weeks ago against Minnesota yet we had people worried about Brust's shooting. Hopefully, the second half quiets the weird Brust ground swell.

Usually this space is spent on Wisconsin, but it is hard to believe with this team, Indiana has nine losses in Big Ten play. I realize this is one of the best conferences in college basketball, but with the talent Indiana has, they should be at least a bubble team. Crazy thing is with how prestigious Indiana is as a program, they do not even need to be a good bubble team. Just be on there and the tournament will find a spot for them yet right now, Indiana looks like a subpar middle of the road program. Instead they are four games under .500 and it is probable Noah Vonleh heads to the NBA, possibly Yogi Ferrell too plus they lose Will Sheehey. Tom Crean's seat is starting to get warm. He will not get fired, but the pressure is building on the Indiana coach. One positive is they have three of their last four games at home and against ranked teams (Michigan is on the road), they could still make a push for the bubble if they win out.

Wisconsin continues its dominance against Indiana especially at the Kohl Center. I believe Crean has not won there since coaching for Indiana. This is not how it used to be as Wisconsin holds only a 23-41 against the Hoosiers since 1979. How times have changed in the Big Ten.

Charlie.

Kaminsky and Badgers Steal One in Iowa City

Before Wisconsin took on Iowa, many people wondered if this basketball team was 'back.'  It is tough to
know what 'back' really means but Wisconsin continued to look more and more like a top 10 team worthy of consideration for a deep run in the NCAA tournament.  Badgers held on to a 79-74 victory with another large performance from Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker is solid again, Bronson Koenig's first big game and Badgers desire to play in-state for the first two rounds.

When Kaminsky put in 43 against North Dakota, many saw it as an aberration. Kaminsky had some big games through the first two years of his career, but nothing like 43 points. In the last three games, Kaminsky is averaging 21 points, the exact amount he had on Saturday afternoon.  He also pulled down seven rebounds, and in his last five games, Kaminsky is averaging 7.4 rebounds a game which is nearly a half a rebound above his average. Kaminsky hit a a clutch jumper after Josh Olgesby put Iowa ahead, and then found a way to make a big defensive play stripping Roy Deyvn Marble. Kaminsky is becoming a go-to player for Wisconsin.

The reason why Kaminsky is a hassle for teams as he can be a true inside-out player. If there is a lumbering big man like a lot of the B1G have, Kaminsky is able to beat them on the outside. If they have a smaller lineup, Kaminsky's post game has drastically improved in the last month and is growing as a player. One of the things I did not expect with Wisconsin is Kaminsky developing into a two-dimensional player whom Wisconsin needs to have big games in order for them to win basketball games. Kaminsky's value probably correlates with the attention Sam Dekker gets from defenses around the conference.

Dekker in his own right had another strong performance notching his second straight 15 point game, and this time getting the double-double pulling down eleven rebounds. Since the zero rebound game against Illinois, Dekker's rebounding numbers have went up in the four games since, and that's a big thing for Wisconsin in the coming month.  As a power forward, he needs to be averaging right around six rebounds a game and if he keeps doing that, this Wisconsin team will be much better off. Dekker struggled a bit from three on Saturday, but he did not let that be the only part of his game which is another solid development for him.

Coming into the season, Koenig had the most hype about him as a freshman. Nigel Hayes took over Koenig's spot as being the freshman du joir, but on Saturday, he put in his strongest performance as a Badger. Koenig had 12 points on 5/7 shooting with two threes. There might be a case for Koenig to get more playing time as he played 23 minutes which is eight above his season average and played way above his head. If the Badgers have Koenig and Hayes contributing each at least seven points a game, Wisconsin becomes dangerously deep with two viable options off the bench.

With another win in the Big Ten, Wisconsin remains two games back from Michigan from the Big Ten crown. But unfortunately for the Badgers, Wolverines have a pretty easy road to the finish meaning it would be highly unlikely they would drop two games.  But all that being said, Badgers have vaulted themselves into the two or three seed right row meaning they will probably be playing in Milwaukee to start the NCAA Tournament. Wisconsin did not capitalize the last time this happened back in 2004 with a second round loss to Pittsburgh in the Cream City.

It appears that door is open for them to have a home court advantage. If they finish strong, like win out of the season, they are probably still in the conversation for a one seed. Who would have thought it after they hit tough times last month.

Charlie.

Wisconsin Basketball... Red Hot Once Again.

Many people went with the sky is falling technique with Wisconsin Badgers in late January. Badgers lost five of six games including losing three straight at home. After a wire-to-wire road victory against Michigan winning 75-62, it appears Wisconsin found its swagger once again and is prepared to make a push to a Big Ten title as the conference is wide open. Badgers received a great game from Frank Kaminsky, near turnover-free basketball and kept Nik Stauskas quiet.

This should be put near the top of Wisconsin's most impressive wins of the season. Even though Michigan is struggling a bit compared to earlier in B1G play, they have played well at home under head coach John Beilein. Badgers held the Wolverines to only 19 points in the first half and basically controlled the game minus one Michigan run in the second half where the Wolverines pulled it to three points with six minutes left. Wisconsin had a run of their own and put Michigan away. 

Kaminsky became a part of Wisconsin lore earlier this season when he had 43 points against North Dakota, but for the most part, he has been one of the most improved players on Wisconsin this season. Frank The Tank led the Badgers on Sunday afternoon with an impressive double-double where he had 25 points and 11 rebounds. Kaminsky was efficient from the field going 11/16 from there field. Many of his shots were high percentage ones and exactly what Badgers needed on Sunday afternoon. This is the second straight game where Kaminsky had 15+ points which makes one think he may have figured out how to be a big man in the Big Ten. With all of the other Wisconsin players, it gets overlooked Kaminsky is averaging 13 points a game.

One of the other big things with Kaminsky's big performance is how Sam Dekker shot the ball 10 times as well meaning Wisconsin had their post men shoot the ball 26 times and make 17 of them. Granted, Dekker and Kaminsky are not your prototypical big men where they stay inside for the whole game, but most of their damage on Sunday was around the the basket with a couple threes here and there including Kaminsky's dagger late in the second half to guarantee a victory for Wisconsin. 

Wisconsin had 2 turnovers in 60 possessions today, the lowest turnover percentage (3.3%) in a D-I game this season.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 16, 2014

Wisconsin is a team known for not turning the ball over much, but even this for them was stunning on Sunday afternoon. They only had two turnovers for the entire game. Also for whatever reason, Wisconsin recently struggled out of the gates with turnovers. The only two players to have a turnover were Dekker and Nigel Hayes meaning all Badgers guards played a perfect game when it came to turning the ball over.  This might be the pinnacle for Wisconsin, but if they can somehow keep their turnovers around zero to five plus forcing a couple in the process, they will be in a great shape moving forward this season. 

There is a blueprint to beating Michigan this season, taking away Nik Stauskas. The secret got out about Stauskas when Indiana held him to his Big Ten conference low six points. Since that game, the Michigan guard is averaging 10.2 points a game which is six points below his season average. Wisconsin applied the same strategy letting Caris LeVert go crazy with 25 points and cutting off everyone around him including Stauskas. He only had eleven points making four baskets including only getting up two 3-point shot attempts. This is the second game in the past three where Wisconsin shut down the top guard on the team. It does seem like Wisconsin's defense has turned the corner and that might be the biggest storyline developing with this team. 

Wisconsin gets a near week off before heading to Iowa City where the Badgers have struggled mightily in the past couple years. This game will likely be a battle for third place, but with both the top teams struggling of late, it could prove important to whom takes home the Big Ten title. Wisconsin's confidence should be back at their undefeated high. 

Charlie. 

Dekker Leads Wisconsin's Bounce-Back Win

The narrative about Wisconsin Badgers' basketball season changed in the past couple of weeks. They went
from being an undefeated team to a team one game under .500 in conference midway through the season. Badgers' narrative can change again though without question, but they need to start winning again. It started against Illinois on Tuesday night with a 75-63 road victory with a big performance from Sam Dekker, good Traevon Jackson came to play and just how good is Nigel Hayes?

Last couple of games have been rough on Dekker as he struggled to put up shots as well as got 'benched' by his head coach in the second half of the Ohio State game. It seemed like the Badgers sophomore forward played angry on Tuesday night, and most of it came from long distance. Dekker had 16 points going four of seven from three along with another field goal and a couple free throws. We can debate all day whether Dekker wanted to prove a point to his head coach, but I do not think it is a coincidence Dekker has a big game following a season-low in minutes and points

There is nothing wrong with having a game where Dekker is red hot from distance rather than taking it to the lane. Sure there would be a need for Dekker to be more aggressive down, but there is no need if he has it going from distance Although if Dekker can put all together when he has a game that features him dominating down low as well as making four or five threes, he could be one of the best players in the country. Imagine what Doug McDermott does on a nightly basis, but two inches taller, that's what Dekker could be doing if everything is going for him.

Once again, this game is proof of how good Wisconsin can be when good Traevon Jackson comes to play versus the bad version. He draws a ton of ire from fans, but Jackson puts out productive games every now and again keeping him as a starter. Jackson had 14 points with seven rebounds and three assists on 4/7 shooting. This is the type of game Badger fans want on a consistent basis from Jackson. In five of Wisconsin's six losses, Jackson has more than 10 shots. Only one of those games, Indiana, did Jackson shoot over 50 percent. He is a much better player when he is only shooting seven to eight times and attempting to get the basket versus wild 3-point attempts. If Jackson keeps this up, Wisconsin becomes a different team.

Right now, Wisconsin seems to have the best freshman in the Big Ten. While Nigel Hayes does not have the numbers for  Freshman of the Year consideration, he might by the end of the month. In the last two games, Hayes shot 11/14 from the field with a combined 31 points which is two fewer than his combined point total in his last five games in conference. Hayes is putting it all together and becoming a great sixth man off the bench. He will without question be a starter next year, and likely push Dekker to the three position as Hayes feels more like a four. With Hayes, Wisconsin adds more size and toughness giving them a nice compliment rotation with the three guard system with Josh Gasser, Jackson and Ben Brust. Hayes will only continue to get better.

Wisconsin tries to break their three-game home losing streak against rival Michigan State. Another narrative springs up with both teams as Wisconsin fans love to think 'Bo owns Izzo' given Ryan's success against Spartans head coach Tom Izzo.  Although Michigan State has won their last five meetings so who really owns who?

Charlie.  

Wisconsin Continues Its Losing Ways

When Wisconsin began the season undefeated, the expectations for this team were sky high. Many people
started dancing around the idea of them playing the first two rounds in Milwaukee, and maybe having their best chance to get Badgers head coach Bo Ryan's first Final Four. ESPN's analyst Jay Williams went as far to pick them to win the National Championship. Since then, Badgers have dropped five out of their last six games including three straight losses at home. While it has not been all roses for Wisconsin during Ryan's tenure, it has never been this tense with a team heading towards the brink.

On Saturday, Wisconsin seemed to have Ohio State right where they wanted them. Ohio State is dealing with their own issues, and Badgers led by six points with six minutes left to go in the game. Frank Kaminksy had made a layup, and then Nigel Hayes had a chance to put Wisconsin up eight with two free throws. Hayes would miss both of them, but Kaminsky would get an offensive rebound yet he would not score. In fact, Wisconsin would only have four points the rest of game along with not a single field goal. It also did not help the Badgers could not hit a free-throw to save their life, one of the sneaky things that occasionally troubles Wisconsin.

In the second half, Badgers missed eight free throws in a game where Ohio State won by one point. For the game, Wisconsin missed 10 free throws overall. With how good Hayes was in this basketball game, he still missed five free throws in the game. There is no question Hayes played a big part in keeping Wisconsin in the game and helped them gain a lead but five missed free throws are a major killer. We made mention about how Wisconsin needs to get more free throws if they are not hitting three-pointer shots which they did as they got to line 29 times... But they need to make more than 19.

When it comes to Wisconsin's lack of scoring down the stretch, some might point to the lack of minutes Sam Dekker received late in the game. Before the Ohio State game, Dekker averaged 33.1 minutes a game during Big Ten conference play. He had a season-low in points, season-low in minutes with 19 and once again for the second straight game, only shot six times from the field. Hayes came off the bench to have 17 points, but Ryan decided to not play Dekker and Hayes at the same time. While they play the same position, there is no reason Dekker could not have played the three or the five for that matter creating a bigger lineup. Did Dekker's comments to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel have something to do with his lack of minutes Saturday?

It felt like a real life subtweet from Ryan to Dekker. He basically sat him down and did not play him as much almost sending a vindictive message that 'This kind of shit will not be tolerated by the Wisconsin program, keep your mouth shut, leave it to me to send messages through the media.' Is this bullshit? Absolutely. Dekker should have the freedom to take a leadership role on this team when Wisconsin is lacking one right now in the worst way. Traevon Jackson is not a leader as a point guard. He does not command team so why can't Dekker be the leader?  Because he is a sophomore?  Ryan may have cost the Badgers a victory on Saturday to send a message.

Wisconsin heads to Champaign on Wednesday to play a team they beat by 25 points earlier this season when the Badgers were rolling as unit. They feel more divided than ever before so who knows what the expectation should be for this game. They will need to figure something out quickly because the Big Ten season is not getting any easier.

Charlie.

Stone-Cold Shooting leads to a Wisconsin Stunner

It appeared like Wisconsin figured out a way to reverse their fortunes in the Big Ten. Taking down Purdue on the road beating them by double-digits and doing things completely different than the last three losses made things seem encouraging for the Badgers basketball team. On Wednesday, nothing seemed the same as Wisconsin turned in its worst performance of the year by losing to Northwestern at home, 65-56. Badgers turned in a putrid offensive performance combined with terrible perimeter defense plus raising the question, has the Kohl Center lost its luster?

Unlike previous years, Wisconsin has been a prolific offense with a team full of 3-point shooters whom can fill up the tin at will.  Even if they are not making their threes, the offense does not usually revert back to the days of Dick Bennett where 55 points would win you the game. Last night against Northwestern, this offense looked like a complete mess. Badgers shot a stunning 15/57 from the field, going 5/24 from three as well. According to KenPom, Northwestern holds the eleventh best defense in the nation, but at the same time, Wisconsin seems like to have the players to figure them out yet that did not happen as Wisconsin had only 39 points with five minutes left in the game. For reference, Wisconsin had 40 points at halftime in their first game against the Wildcats.

Sam Dekker disappeared last night, and that is something Wisconsin cannot have whatsoever. Dekker got to the free-throw line which is a bright spot, but the fact he only took six shots is concerning. He cannot become a ghost in this offense. Even though Wisconsin has five starters who can score, Dekker is the piece that makes everything go in the offense. What did not help either is bad Traevon Jackson came out to play as his inconsistent campaign continued for the Badgers. Jackson went 2/12 with only four assists. Wisconsin as a whole, only had 10 assists for the game. When there are bad shooting nights usually a lack of assists can tell the story.

Wisconsin's defense did not play much better than the offense especially in the second half.  Northwestern had 43 points in the second half, and there are some games where that would be the Wildcats' output for the entire game. Much of it had to do with Northwestern getting open shots on the perimeter. They shot 43 percent from three including having other open looks due to ball-screening Wisconsin to death creating open shots for Drew Crawford and others. Crawford had a great game for the Cats going 10/15 from the field and ended up with 30 points. If Wisconsin's defense is having troubles with Northwestern's 311th ranked offense, they could be in some serious trouble.

It is worth having a discussion about the Kohl Center and luster of it being one of the 'toughest places to play in college basketball.'  There was a time in previous years where Badgers were nearly a lock to win at home no matter the opponent. This is Northwestern's first win at the Kohl Center... ever. They were 0-13 and had not won in Madison since 1996. I do not know if teams are not intimidated anymore by Kohl or the lower bowl fans excluding the students are not as loud as they used to be. That was a problem for Marquette during different seasons and runs because there is an expectation that every home win would be a victory. We shall see how other teams will handle Kohl this season.

Wisconsin heads to Ohio State this weekend where the Buckeyes are also at a crossroads after losing to Penn State at home last night. Both teams are in a must-win situation making this game very critical for each team, but thankfully, Wisconsin will be playing in front of their home crowd. Hopefully, they can get up for the most important game of the season thus far.

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.

Another Badgers Defensive Letdown Leads to a Michigan Win

Sometimes when a team loses their first game of the season when they had a long winning streak; they do not know how to respond and suffered another loss. This is what happened to Wisconsin's basketball program. Badgers went 0-2 this week losing to Michigan at home 77-70 for the first time since people were concerned about Y2K. Badgers once again was let down by their defensive effort, an inconsistent Traevon Jackson but did get another encouraging Josh Gasser performance on the offensive end.

Mitch McGary went out with a back injury in early December. People felt like all hope was lost for this Michigan team as they struggled in the non-conference. John Beilein figured out how to win with this basketball team, and this is an impressive coaching job thus far.  Nik Stauskas and Caris LeVert tore up Wisconsin as they combined for 43 points including six 3-pointers. Stauskas turned into a player whom is just not a heat-check guy rather an all-around basketball player with a silky jumper. The step-back three from Stauskas deserves to be on 'One Shining Moment' because it was that good.



So what's the problem here with Wisconsin's defense? I think it is a combination of being an undersized team inside with having a player like Sam Dekker, not a true post player and Frank Kaminsky, just a shot blocker. Dekker pulled down 10 rebounds which is great for Wisconsin, but Kaminsky only had four rebounds. It is not like Michigan pulled down a bevy of offensive rebounds, but what it says is Kaminsky really did not have position to make rebounds being a factor on the defensive end. When Ben Brust has sixth defensive rebounds alone to Kaminksy's two is not a good sign for this Badgers team moving forward in the rugged Big Ten.

Our one bright spot with their Indiana defeat was the play of Traevon Jackson. He turned around on Saturday and had one of his worst performances of the year. He went 3 for 11 missing two 3-points in the process as well as taking a brutal shot late in the game when Jackson had multiple defenders on him. The inconsistent play of Jackson is something that could really hurt Wisconsin in the long run. He does not need to be a scorer on this team. Sure, there are situations where they might need him, but in the long run, Jackson is the fourth scoring option on this starting five. He needs to be more in control, and if he is not, Bo Ryan needs to be quicker on yanking him out of the game versus letting him play through it.

This game was not great for Wisconsin, but it seems like Josh Gasser is out of his funk.  In December, Gasser had a four-game stretch where he averaged a little over three points a game. In the last four games, he has scored in a double-digits and an efficient manner too. He seemed to have figure things out a bit on the offensive end which is huge for this team making Jackson less of a scoring option. Sometimes when a player suffers a severe injury, it takes some time to figure out how to play basketball again at an efficient rate. Gasser also went four for five from 3-point land which is a season-best for him.

Wisconsin heads out on the road to play a young Minnesota team at The Barn Wednesday night before heading to Purdue on Saturday. Badgers need to get back on track, and these are not easy games for them. With a couple days to prepare, you have to believe Wisconsin will be better on defense and if not, this might be only an above average team.

Charlie.

Wisconsin Basketball, a Legit Final Four Contender?

It is not often I write about anything that is not NBA related. The reasoning is I do not feel like I have a grasp on college basketball especially compared to the NBA. But one thing that I have come to figure out about the college game is Wisconsin Badgers are fucking predictable. Year in, year out, Badgers head coach Bo Ryan will know as the shirts say in Madison. And Bo will know that his fundamental, slow style of basketball will throw a wrench in current basketball systems and win games for his program. It is a respectful way to play basketball, and all in all, a successful one. Few coaches have had greater success than Ryan, at any level.

This year, the Badgers have raced out to stunning 13-0 and are currently ranked 4th nationally. They are rolling. An expected 8-0 at home, and this year things just seem a little different in Madison. Let me show you the differences I see in this team in list format:

1.) Trustworthiness. The first thing about this team that jumps out to me as superior to previous Ryan led teams, is that I pretty much trust four of the five starters on the court to make the right play all the time. I have seen things from both Josh Gasser and Ben Brust in years past to show they know what is going on. Frank Kaminsky is legit. That dude scored 43 points in a game. Which is incredible in and of itself and also, he can be called Frank the Tank which has to render useful all the time. And of course Sam Dekker. In March, the wealth of playmakers should pay dividends.

2.) More Things Sam Dekker. He is super legit. He will be the first Badger to get significant NBA minutes since Devin Harris. Which is a breath of fresh air in Badgerland. For the season he is averaging 14.5 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game. He can finish around the rim because of his lengthy 6’ 8” frame, and can shoot from distance. He can shoot and soar. Everything I cannot do myself. To make a generic NBA comparison like short Caucasian wide receivers to Wes Welker, I think there is no doubt he will be on par with both Chandler Parson and Gordan Hayward. Or basically the only two white 6’ 8” wings that can shoot, finish, and pass[1]. To make a cross-racial comparison, I think he can be a lot like Loul Deng. However, he will never become the defender that Deng is. Comparisons aside, Dekker is a legit college basketball star.

3.) Ability to play two styles of ball. Already the Badgers have scored 80+ points five different times. The total already matches the 80-point games produced last year, and there is more than half the season to play. They can win in a shootout. We have shooters everywhere, and of course, Dekker. But that is not to say this will not be a team that cannot buckle down and win the game with defense either. We are still the Wisconsin Badgers after all.

The facts above show this team is indeed seemingly more dangerous than Badger teams of years past, I still see some similarities that could be a concern moving forward (again I will put them in list format:

1.) The Bench. Depth in college basketball in critical, because you never know when the perils of playing on the road or young players making stupid decisions will strike and leave your team banking on a redshirt sophomore that has played an average of six minutes a game to play pivotal crunch-time minutes. And right now, the Badgers bench to me is a little suspect. While the freshmen (Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes) are intriguing, they are still freshman and I am not going to say they have looked like anything until they have played in some Big Ten slugfests.

2.) Cupcakes. Bo Ryan needs to step out his comfort zone and schedule some real games the first month of the season. One thing that can be counted on more than Aaron Rodgers beating Jay Cutler, is that Bo Ryan will not schedule anyone worth a damn before the Big Ten season. It is my opinion that this is costing Wisconsin wins in March. Other programs, most specifically Michigan State, schedule games against other top programs on neutral sites, to introduce the kids to the limelight. Bo, not only will not leave home, but also consistently schedules no one of significance. I cannot figure out what good playing against Prairie View A&M does for this team. That is essentially a waste of an opportunity to get better. I would much rather get spanked by Arizona on the road and learn something about my team, than play against PVA&M at home. Bo grow some Kahuna’s please.

There is no doubt that this is a good Badger team. They will be a 4-seed or better. But I’m excited to see this team take on the Big Ten. We will learn a ton about who Wisconsin really are then. First big test for the Badgers is against Iowa on January 5th. Hopefully Bo has ‘em buckled up.

As always Go Packers,

~Andrew

                                                                                                                                           
[1] If he grows out his hair and gets a terrible back tattoo of a dragon or bird, then he does have the potential to be Andrei Kirilenko.