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.  

Final Four Power Rankings Explained by Pop Culture

With the Final Four being about a month away, it is the time to wonder whom might be playing in the Final Four. There is no reason why we should not look the teams at this point. It could be anyone at this point, but I do think we have an idea of some of the teams that look closer to Final Four aspirations versus others that need a paddle as they are swimming up creek. We will look at the Top 30 teams with a couple others thrown in using ESPN's latest Bracketology. Not all will get words behind it, but they will be definitely be ranked.    

Piers Morgan Division - Turn off the lights, there is really no need to wonder about their March 

Michigan State - It is hard to bet against Tom Izzo, but at the same time, this team never really put all together. Think of it as a better functioning Marquette team. 

San Diego State - Bold prediction here. Aztecs did win at Allen Fieldhouse, but their inability to score at times makes me nervous. I feel like due to Wichita State's unbeaten streak and weak conference, no one is discussing the softness of the Mountain West. 

Jared Leto Division - Everyone else is really excited about their chances but you cannot understand the hype

Villanova - Death. Taxes. Jay Wright's team failing to show up when it matters in March. Only time that rule does not apply is when Scottie Reynolds is playing point guard.  

Creighton - It is really hard to envision the Bluejays making any sort of a deep run with how they play basketball. If they face good guards or a tough defensive team, it will be curtains.  

Virginia - I still go back to the fact besides Syracuse, they really do not have the quality wins this season. They have only played the top seven of the ACC, once. That's concerning, no?  I do not think this team can make a push to Dallas.   

Louisville - Am I going to bet against Rick Pitino?  Here's the thing... This team has won a bunch of games against weak opponents, but when the chips are down, they have not beaten many good teams.  

Rob Ford Division - Crazy, unpredictable, really anything can happen. 

Oklahoma State - If this team gets an eight to ten seed, they are the most dangerous low seed right? Even with Travis Ford's lackadaisical nature, it seems like that's a good bet. 

Wichita State - They could either make a run to the Final Four or the Elite Eight or lose in the second round. No real in-between with this team.   

Duke - Anyone noticing how no one is really talking about this team? Isn't that really weird given who they are and what they have in Jabari Parker. A good 3-point shooting team can sink this squad.  

Syracuse - Well they have this zone that has been known to work against the right draw but they can go completely cold against a good defense. Still have seniors and the coach to get them there.

Kansas - One of the best teams in college basketball, but at the same time, they are filled with freshman with no idea what March Mardness is like and we have seen how that goes for teams.   

Matthew McConaughey Division - So hot right now. Steaming hot streak heading into the perfect time.

Iowa State - They are not hot, but hear me out... They have beaten eight top 20 RPI teams. DeAndre Kane and Melvin Ejim are two of the biggest problems on an offense for opposing teams. Yes they do not play defense. Yes they shoot too many threes, but Iowa State has taken down good teams this year consistently.   

Wisconsin - While by the tournament, they could be more of a Leto, I think we need to look at how well the Badgers have played in the last month making this the obvious choice. They are one of the hotter teams in the country.  

North Carolina - No team is hotter right now than Carolina plus add to the equation, they beat Michigan State at full strength and Kentucky before its problems, it's impressive.  

Arizona - Talked about them yesterday, but as of today, they are a team warming up. It is hard to call him a part of the cream of the crop... yet. Still need a couple more games.

True Detective Division - Best of the best right now. 

Florida - They have everything you want from a Final Four. Billy Donovan has won two titles, been to four Final Fours (Three with Florida) and the last three years they have been in the final eight teams in the country. They have loads of seniors, a tough as nails defense and an inside game to compete with anyone.

Right now, it is Florida alone with everyone else trailing behind them. Sure the SEC is not a place where they are challenged every night, but at the same time, that might work to their advantage.  

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. 

CBB Picks: Bubble, Bubble, Bubble Watch

With all over sports done, I need to make some picks so we do it with college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER
3. Florida at 14. Kentucky 8:00 pm ESPN - Only one of two SEC games that mean a damn. People are hyping up the Gators right now, but this will be the game where we could say 'They are legit' versus them racking up wins against inferior opponents. The matchup of day will be the Harrison Twins versus Scottie Wilbekin and Michael Frazier II. Both teams have strong forward play, but the guards playing well can make these teams that much better. Julius Randle versus Patric Young should be bar fight. I have a feeling the Wildcats get up for the game, and win this game with a big performance from Andrew Harrison plus a couple great Randle moments. UK 73-67

6. Villanova at 18. Creighton (Played Sunday) 4:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Revenge game for the road team as Creighton shot lights out from three when they last played. Odds are it will not happen again, but Nova needs to do a better job guarding the perimeter. Doug McDermott has been out of mind of late, and he tends to step up in the big moments. Nova's balanced attack could give the Jays a ton of problems especially since they do not really play much defense I will take Dougie McBuckets at home. CREIG 75-72

21. Wisconsin at 15. Michigan (Played Sunday) 12:00 pm CBS  - Another revenge game for the road team. Wisconsin seems to have figured it out a bit in the last couple of games. They continue to get great effort out of Nigel Hayes and Ben Brust had a big scoring day against Minnesota. Michigan picked up a key road win Tuesday with a big Derrick Walton Jr. performance. Nik Stauskas got going again as well which is important to Michigan's success. While Badgers have looked better as of late, Michigan is a tough team to beat at home plus their balance should give Wisconsin problems. MICH 73-64

SECOND TIER 
20. Memphis at 24. UConn 11:00 am ESPN - Great guard matchup here with Joe Jackson and Michael Dixon versus Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright.  I feel like all four of these players could equal everyone out meaning it will come down to big men. This could mean a big game from Shaq Goodwin whose been known for a big game here or there. Or for UConn, DeAndre Daniels could come big for the Huskies. I will take UConn at home. I do not trust Memphis to go into a hostile environment to win a big game.
UCONN 69-63

VCU at 12. St. Louis 1:00 pm ESPN2 - This game will be all about pace. If St. Louis is able to slow down 'Havoc', they should win this game. But if VCU makes the Bilikens run a bit, it favors the Rams in a major way. Both teams are red hot as St. Louis has won 16 straight games and VCU won seven of their last eight games. I am going out on a limb and taking the Rams. They seem to be rounding into form, and I feel like they could catch St. Louis on the road with their frenetic offense.  VCU 82-73

25. Pittsburgh at North Carolina 12:00 pm CBS - People might not know this but North Carolina has won their last five games slowly gaining momentum. Tar Heels are not playing the greatest ACC teams, but it could make a splash here with win against Pitt. Panthers are reeling after a buzzer-beater defeat to Syracuse, and they need to respond quickly. Talib Zanna and James Michael McAdoo should be a fun matchup in the middle. I do not think Pittsburgh has a good enough answers for Marcus Paige, and he goes off for a big game to keep Carolina rolling. UNC 65-61

2. Arizona at Arizona State 8:00 pm (Played Friday) ESPN - Sun Devils are warming up with winning five of their last six games. This one will be huge for their NCAA resume. If they could get a win against rival Arizona, it will do wonders for them. I am curious to see whom the Wildcats put on Jahii Carson because I do not know if they have an answer. The battle in the middle between Kaleb Tarczewski and Jordan Bachynski. I am tempted to ride with the Sun Devils, but Wildcats with a Nick Johnson game-winner are the difference. ARIZ 68-67

THIRD TIER 
West Virginia at 19. Texas 7:00 pm Longhorn Network - Don't sleep on the Mountaineers as they have won their last four of five with their only loss being at Allen Fieldhouse. They blew the doors down against Iowa State hitting 13 threes and going 53 percent from the field. I expect a close game. I think these two teams match up well, but it seems like Texas always has one guy go off for 20+ points whether it be Javan Felix, Johnathan Holmes or anyone else. Too many weapons for the Horns take down West Virginia.
TEXAS 76-68

Maryland at 8. Duke 5:00 pm ESPN - Remember when this game mattered in the large scope of things? This will I believe be the last meeting for the Terrapins heading to Cameron Indoor. Duke will likely send them off the right way. I do not not really believe this will be a close game in any facet. Jabari Parker will have a big time game for the Dukies. DUKE 82-65

NC State at 1. Syracuse 3:00 pm ESPN3 - With how soft the bubble is this year, NC State still has a legitimate chance to get into the NCAA Tournament. They could bolster their resume with a win at the Carrier Dome. T.J. Warren has been great in the last couple games, but I think the zone suffocates him leading to yet another Orange victory. CUSE 62-57

16. Iowa at Penn State 12:00 pm ESPNU - I need to make an upset pick as I have been on fire the last couple weeks. I nearly went with Arizona State, but here it is from Happy Valley. Penn State had an amazing comeback win on Wednesday night at Indiana, and I think they will ride the momentum to take down Iowa. Just feels like a trap game for the Hawkeyes as they have a big week upcoming with a road trip to Indiana and home against Wisconsin. PSU 68-62

Wisconsin's Basketball Revenge Ax

This week is a revenge reunion tour for Wisconsin Badgers basketball team with playing Minnesota and Michigan, two teams they lost to earlier this season. They had a chance to not only avenge a couple losses but also make a move in the B1G standings. Badgers took care of one last night by beating Minnesota, 78-70, with a big Ben Brust performance, Badgers earning it from the free throw line and Wisconsin becoming an all-around good team again for the first time in a long while. 

This is one of those games where it is not really considered a blowout, but Wisconsin held Minnesota at bay for the majority of the game. The closest Minnesota got in the second half was five points twice, but really this game resembled the first one except the other team won the game. Badgers put the Gophers into submission, and never let them even sniff a lead in the second period. This was a dominating win for the Badgers even if the box score does not completely reflect it. 

Ben Brust is having a good season, but I do not think many people are realizing it. He does it in such a quiet manner. Brust is averaging 13.2 points a game which is two points above his junior year average and a career-high for him. No one talks about Brust as everyone is talking about Sam Dekker and Nigel Hayes. My assumption is Brust does not care, and he will keep grinding. Last night, he played great with going perfect from three making four threes and had 20 points, a near season-high for him. Additionally, this was a great bounce back for him as he only had five points against Michigan State including a big free throw miss late in the game that nearly cost Wisconsin. If Brust becomes more of an offensive threat than just a three-point shooter, Badgers will be much better.  

Wisconsin and the free throw line have a bizarre relationship. It does seem like when the Badgers settle for 3-pointers they do not typically win games. Weirdly enough, Marquette and them, are similar in that way minus the fact Wisconsin can nail down threes. They got to the line 36 times last night with a big night at the line from Frank Kaminksy. For the season, Big Frank shoots about 80 percent from the line, and he went perfect yesterday going nine for nine. The nine free throw attempts were a season-high for Kaminsky. Wisconsin did a great job feeding him in the post, and Kaminsky made sure he forced contact drawing the attempts. Another guy that earned it from the line again was Nigel Hayes. This is the second straight game where he shot above 75 percent as he went five for six from the charity stripe. If Hayes continually shoots about 70 percent from both the field and the free throw line, Wisconsin will be very strong as a unit. 

It seems like for the first time in weeks, Wisconsin figured things out with both offense and defense. The last three games have been supremely encouraging for this team, and Wisconsin might be hitting their collective stride at the right time. Michigan State was a close win by box score terms for the Badgers, but really, they had control of the whole game until the final moments where they could not make a shot. Further, that's the only game in the three where they have went cold for a long period of time. Badgers are still three games back from the B1G lead, but they could push towards the top in the coming weeks. 

Revenge tour makes a stop at Ann Arbor this Sunday taking on Michigan, a team that gave Wisconsin all sorts of trouble at home. Badgers hope to repay the favor. This will be the Badgers first visit to Crisler Arena since 2011-2012 season where they only scored 41 points. Hopefully for Wisconsin, history does not repeat itself. 

Charlie. 

Hayes and Jackson Power Wisconsin over Michigan State

The month of January was not kind to Wisconsin Badgers basketball. They won at Illinois to begin February but faced a showdown with Michigan State on Sunday afternoon. Wisconsin had lost three straight at home and faced one of the top teams in the country, Michigan State, on Sunday afternoon. Badgers ended the home losing streak by winning 60-58, and they started to develop some momentum going forward this month with another big effort from Nigel Hayes, shutting down Gary Harris and Traevon Jackson's confidence pays off for a change.

It is pretty clear watching Wisconsin play over the last month that Hayes, the 6'7 freshman from Ohio, is going to be a star on this team. He won Freshman of the Week for the third time this season and is rapidly improving by the game. Hayes is a tough player to guard because while he is undersized to play the four, he is built like a defensive end meaning Hayes can out physical most people inside.  He showed against Michigan State the ability to face up to the basket and make things happen as well as nearly every time he did some sort of post move, Hayes drew a foul on a Michigan State defender.

In recent weeks, Hayes going to the free throw line 12 times could spell trouble for this team. For the season, Hayes shoots a mere 58 percent from the free throw line. He is not a good shooter by any means therefore if he goes to the line more than 10 times a game, there is a need to be better. Hayes did just that on Sunday afternoon missing only four of his 12 free throw attempts.  Most of his points came from the line as Hayes once again finished with double-digit scoring with 14, but that is very important he may have found his stroke at the free throw line. Hayes' last three games see him averaging 15 points a game and shooting 72 percent from the field. It is evident Hayes is pushing hard to be considered for Freshman of the Year in the Big Ten.  

Gary Harris is one of the best players in the country. Wisconsin's defense is not what it used to be in years past. Many people assumed Harris would have a big game against this Wisconsin team, but he had only six points on 3/20 shooting. Wisconsin finally held a star player in check for most of the game. Sure, Adreian Payne went off for 24 points, but they cut off Harris from scoring. Badgers' perimeter defense was as good as I have seen this season. They forced Harris into several bad shots, and he never found a rhythm in the game. We can wonder if things would have been different if Keith Appling played, but missing 17/20 shots is not completely point guard driven. Wisconsin caused Harris to have a bad game, and with the next couple games deal with facing good guards, it will be interesting to see if shutting down the top guards become a trend.  

Another major criticism with this team has been the play of Traevon Jackson. On this blog, we refer to it as 'Good Traevon' or 'Bad Traevon.' This was the definition of a good Traevon game. He did not too much as Jackson only shot the ball five times. He had seven points, eight assists and five rebounds filling up the box score rather than just shooting the ball countless amounts of time. Jackson beat Harris off the dribble for the game-winning shot with two seconds. He might not be the player Wisconsin fans want taking the last shot of the game, but the thing about game-winners is once a player knows he can do it, he tends to repeat his success. I am not completely sold on Jackson turning the corner, but if he keeps stringing together good starts, I will be inclined to do so.  

This could be the start of payback week for Wisconsin as they face rival Minnesota on Thursday who they fell to earlier this season, and head to Ann Arbor Sunday to see if they can do to Michigan, what the Wolverines did to Wisconsin... Beat them on the road. Revenge tour could be in full force, and it might be led by the young man from Ohio.  

Charlie.   

CBB Picks: Rematch Weekend

Since college football and National Football League is done, we have been making picks for college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER
10. Michigan at 17. Iowa 1:00 pm ESPN - One of the big narrative right now in college basketball is 'Iowa cannot beat good teams.'  There is no evidence against it honestly. They have come close to a sweep against Ohio State, road win against Wisconsin, Michigan State at home, but they have not finished. Two games featured the Hawkeyes going on epic cold streaks to finish the game. That cannot happen against Michigan, a team that burned them late in the game in their first meeting. Wolverines bounced back from their first B1G loss with a 29 point drubbing of Nebraska earlier this week. I believe in you Iowa, and I think Aaron White comes off his cold streak to have a big game. IOWA 78-73

9. Michigan State at Wisconsin (Played on Sunday) 12:00 pm CBS - As I mentioned in my Wisconsin-Illinois recap, the notion of 'Bo owns Izzo' is deader than a strip club at 3:00 pm on a Wednesday. Michigan State has won the last five games against Wisconsin. Badgers could be catching Sparty at the wrong time with Adreian Payne returning from injury. Payne poises a huge problem for Wisconsin. Wisconsin will need another big effort from Sam Dekker, and Traevon Jackson will need to play within himself if Keith Appling plays or not. I cannot fathom Wisconsin losing four straight at home. They find a way to squeak this one out. Maybe a clutch Ben Brust three at the end. UW 70-68

23. Gonzaga at 24. Memphis 8:00 pm ESPN - These two teams do this made-for-ESPN February non-conference game. It is good exposure for both teams especially Gonzaga. West Coast Conference is not really what it used to be, and everyone forgets about the Zags when talking about teams out west. Bulldogs have battled all sorts of injuries all season, but they are at full strength heading into this one. Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. would be ill-advised to get into an up-and-down game with this team. Memphis blew out Rutgers and has won five of their last six games. I expect a strong Joe Jackson performance along with Austin Nichols contributing a big game giving the home team a much-needed resume builder. MEMP 73-67

SECOND TIER
4. Wichita State at Northern Iowa 8:00 pm ESPN2 - If Wichita State gets past Northern Iowa, they might be on an undefeated path. CBS Eye on College Basketball podcast pointed out the Shockers will be double-digit favorites the rest of the season after this one. Northern Iowa has not been good this season with going 5-6 in Missouri Valley play including losing four of its last five. Although I expect they will treat this one like their Super Bowl, but I cannot bet against the Shockers. They have shown too much toughness down the stretch in big games to lose this one against an inferior team in a tough road environment. WSU 78-72

12. Creighton at St. John's (Played Sunday) 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Weird weekend for the Jays. They have a game on Friday and Sunday which is virtually unheard of plus they played St. John's last week where Dougie McBuckets hit a game-winner. Although since then, the Johnnies are red hot shooting the lights out which could be trouble for a Creighton team that does not play much defense. Red Storm were close to beating Bluejays on the road, and I think D'Angelo Harrison goes for 30 in a great battle with McDermott in another upset win for St. John's. STJ 77-74

15. Texas at Kansas State 12:30 pm ESPN3 - These two played a classic last time around with Texas' Johnathan Holmes hitting a game-winning buzzer-beater about a month ago. Kansas State has fallen on hard times losing their last three of four, but all of those games on the road. Wildcats have yet to lose at home in the Big 12. Thomas Gipson had a big game the last time these two played, and I believe he will be a factor again in this one. Kansas State is a different team at home, and that will show through again as Texas is due for a game where they look a little pedestrian. KSTATE 75-61

7. Cincinnati at SMU 6:30 pm ESPNU - Two of the bigger surprises so far this season especially Cincinnati. Bearcats gained another tough win on Thursday against UConn with tough defense and clutch free throws setting up their showdown with the Mustangs.  SMU could use this win for their resume, but the Ponies are hot winning seven of their last eight with a fanbase believing in this team meaning Cincinnati will be heading to a hornet's nest.  Good thing for the Bearcats, Sean Kilpatrick has found his stroke again. He struggled against SMU the first time around, but I doubt it happens again. The senior has 25+ points in three of his last five games. I expect a big effort from him, and Cincy stays unbeaten. CIN 62-56

THIRD TIER
Baylor at 21. Oklahoma 6:00 pm ESPN2 - After beating Oklahoma State, Oklahoma dropped their last two games falling to Iowa State and West Virginia both on the road. They head home to take on Baylor, a team in desperation of a win. Bears were able to score one against Oklahoma State last week, and they will need to do it again Saturday.  Baylor suffered a two-point loss to these Sooners in January where they let Buddy Hield go off in the second half with 19 points. Kenny Cherry is still bothered by an ankle injury, and that makes me less confident in Baylor's chances in this one. Boomer Sooner in another double-digit loss for Baylor. OKLA 78-66

Seton Hall at 6. Villanova (Played Friday) 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Seton Hall scored a big road win against Xavier last Saturday and look to break their alternate win/loss streak which is currently at six. Pirates are 4-5 in conference and more healthy than they were against Villanova the first time they played this season. With how well the Pirates took care of Xavier from three, Wildcats might need an alternative way to score points. I cannot pick against Nova at home, but I do think it will be a close on in Philly. NOVA 73-68

13. St. Louis at LaSalle 4:00 pm ESPN2 - On paper, this looks like it might have some upset potential. But then you take in consideration, La Salle is one of the worst offenses in the nation plus they have dropped four of the last five. Including with that, they face St. Louis whose one of the best defenses in the nation. Billikens keep rolling on. STL 68-52

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.

LOST: Wisconsin Badgers Defense

In no sport more than college basketball can teams come crashing down to earth quickly and rapidly. A team may get off to a fast start given playing mostly cupcakes with a couple strong wins thrown in there. Other times, the team has some nice strong wins coupled with the cupcakes. Wisconsin Badgers would probably be the second version. They were 16-0 to begin the year with one of their best starts and the hype building around them. Wisconsin careened since then losing their third straight game at Minnesota last night, 81-68, in a complete defensive blowout.

Wisconsin's defense looked bad in the last two games against Indiana and Michigan, but it was completely exposed in the game against Minnesota. The defensive numbers were stunning showing arguably one of the poorest efforts in the last couple of years.  Wisconsin only had six stops in 27 possessions for Minnesota in the second half. Badgers also gave up 48 of the 81 points in the paint meaning nearly 60 percent of their points happened inside the circle. Further, Wisconsin never led in the game and the closest they got in the second half was 41-35 with 17 minutes left to go into their game. This is rock bottom for this Badgers team meaning where do they go from here? 

My biggest concern about the lack of defensive effort from Badgers perspective is if Frank Kaminsky gets into foul trouble, this team is completely screwed. Vitto Brown did not play well in the post nor did Nigel Hayes really have a strong defensive game handling low post players. With teams having this on tape, isn't their first plan of attack for opposing teams to go right at Kaminksy and try to get him into foul trouble earlier than later?  Additionally, Kaminsky needs to stay down more and go for the defensive stand versus the shot block. When people are suggesting Evan Anderson would not hurt inside, there are some bigger issues than I think any of us realize right now (Anderson had a load of talent out of high school; he also is a load, curious about his conditioning if Wisconsin gives him extended minutes).

Bo Ryan is an ardent defender of man-to-man defense. Rarely, if ever, do we see Wisconsin go into a zone, but it has to happen at some point. It is not like Wisconsin needs to be in zone for the entire game, but if they change it up for two minutes or so, they could definitely help confuse the opposing offense. They are all expecting man-to-man right now as Ryan's defense lacks all sorts of creativity. The best part about zones is it does not have to be just one. He could mix in a 1-3-1, 2-3, Matchup, Box and 1. All of those could at least help this team right now whom simply does not look like they can play a man-to-man defense for a full 40 minutes. 

If Wisconsin is this bad defensively, the importance of making 3-pointers become even more critical for them to win basketball games. Badgers went 5-20 from outside, and that is telling to their struggles on Wednesday night. And going to the free-throw line 23 times is very encouraging, and it means Wisconsin did attempt to go the basket more than other games. Badgers want to win high-profile games, they honestly might need to score around 80 points which is unheard of in Ryan's system but it makes no sense for this team to control the clock. Wisconsin seemingly did that in the first 16 games, but now the offense is in a bit of a rut as well against good teams. 

The final question is are the Badgers a two or three seed?  Or did they play above their heads for the first part of the season, and reality is they are only a four and five seed with maybe an outside chance at a three? I lean towards the second one. They head to West Lafayette this Saturday for a matchup with Purdue who only scored 58 in double-overtime against Northwestern. There is no better time for Wisconsin to figure out their defense, and if they do not against the Boilermakers, more questions need to be asked about this team.

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.

Ferrell Pushes Indiana Past Wisconsin

Wisconsin Badgers are having a dream season thus far. Many analysts around college basketball were taking about this Wisconsin team in ways they had not before. Badgers fan like to play the no respect angle, but this year, many people were fawning over this team especially the last couple of weeks. Sometimes when people continue to talk about a good thing, they almost put a 'jinx' on it continuing on. Wisconsin fell to Indiana for the first time since 2007 as they lost 75-72. Wisconsin's inability to protect the rim, lack of free throws hurt this team on Tuesday night although Traevon Jackson provides a glimmer of hope for the future of this season and beyond.

Wisconsin had a 52-42 lead early in the second half. Indiana's head coach Tom Crean threw a temper-tantrum on the sideline and led him to bench his entire starting squad including putting Yogi, don't call me Kevin, Ferrell. It really appeared like the usual Crean and Bo Ryan matchup where Ryan puts him into a Chinese finger trap, and he never gets out. Indiana creeps slowly back by attacking the basket, and they begin to go on a run leading to Indiana tying the game and then taking the game away from Wisconsin.

Sophomore point guard Ferrell did not really have an efficient game shooting 25 times, but after his benching and that run, Indiana's floor general went 5/8 leading the charge back for the Hoosiers. Additionally, freshman Noah Vonleh played better than just 10 points and five rebounds. He made loud plays getting into the lane against Wisconsin's interior defense. I do not think Indiana provided a blueprint for beating Wisconsin, but it is clear slashing the paint is a way to win. Frank Kaminsky is a shot-blocker, but a shot blocker is not always a good defender. Wisconsin showed no ability to take a charge or challenge many plays.

Another thing that has become a problem for Wisconsin in the last couple of years is their inability to get to the free-throw line. Badgers only shot four free throws, and missed three of them. Sure, missing free throws is not good, but marginally getting to the lane is more concerning. Even if Wisconsin has become a 3-point shooting squad, they need to at least attempt to earn some points from the charity stripe. Not one of the three guards had a free throw attempt. Kaminksy had three of them with Nigel Hayes having the other one. That is unacceptable, and will not win you basketball games.

Even though he rushed a final shot, Traevon Jackson provided a bright spot for the future possibly. The junior point guard had a career-high 21 points on nine of eleven shooting. In the last two games, Jackson is averaging 18 points which is head and shoulders above what he has done for this team on offense. If he can provide that sort of offense for Wisconsin, they become that much better of a team. He does not need to do it truthfully with the scorers they have, but when everyone has an off night, it is important to have a guy like Jackson.

Wisconsin heads back home to face a Michigan team that is a shell of themselves from their National Runner-Up campaign last season. But that does not mean Wisconsin should take this squad lightly as it is being proven every night, the B1G is going to be a complete bloodbath.

Charlie.

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 70

Tapping The Keg podcast returns from a two-week holiday break. We had a fun show as Mitch and I (Charlie) missed each other. We recap New Year's Eve a bit as we spent it together and why it might be a sign we are getting old. Sports get started as we talk about the Green Bay Packers in terms of the San Francisco game as well as talk about the future of this team. We preview all of the divisional round games and why no one is trustworthy. We head back to Wisconsin sports chatting about what's left for Wisconsin sports fans since Green Bay is done.  The podcast finishes talking about Jameis Winston, Loul Deng and all sorts of other conversations.

Charlie.

CBB Weekend Picks: New Marquette Expectations

If you notice I have been quiet about Marquette basketball, probably too quiet. Honestly, New Mexico game fell on a bad weekend as I headed back from Green Bay meaning my blogs were not as solid as they probably should have been that day. Obviously playing on New Year's Eve night did me no favors either. Also it does not help this is one of the worst starts for Marquette in the last decade. But as we did with other struggling teams in Wisconsin, they still need to be written about even if it pains me.

I cannot believe this is the group of guys Big East writers picked to win the conference. I just cannot believe that actually happened, and I am wondering if a banner can be hung just for that, maybe. I also amazed at how much I looked forward to this season all to get disappointed. It really comes down to readjusting expectations for the season. At this point, I really do not expect to be in the NCAA Tournament. If Marquette finds their way there, great maybe they are on a roll and can upset somebody in the first round (It is not the second round, THIS IS MY LAST TRADITIONALIST THING, LEAVE ME ALONE SHUT UP).  If not, well everyone has an off year and hopefully the team can respond in the following year when there is not as much pressure on them.

Further, I go from last year and the year prior to thinking 90 to 95 percent of the games Marquette plays they will win or certainly have a chance. This year, we are probably looking around 60-80 percent for some games as well as under 20 percent with others.  There are some they should definitely win like this Saturday against DePaul which is at home, but I am not going to feel as comfortable going to Xavier on Thursday as I did a couple years ago. Hopefully, we can laugh at this blog post in March, but I doubt much will change because there are some significant issues with this team although DePaul is DePaul.  MU 61-47

Other college basketball games to watch.
22.) Iowa at 4.) Wisconsin 7:00 pm Big Ten Network (Played Sunday) - Could be a real depressing Sunday for Packers/Badgers fans if both teams lose their game. Iowa has won the last five of six games with Wisconsin's only win coming in double overtime at home. This is the game of the weekend, but Iowa needs to make some stops and get out on shooters if they want to win this one. Badgers squeak this one out in a high-scoring affair. UW 82-79

5.) Michigan State at Indiana 1:00 pm CBS - Big game for Hoosiers this season as they had no marquee non-conference wins and they already have one loss in Big Ten play to Illinois. Yogi Ferrell versus Keith Appling will be a delight, and I think this game will be different in February. Michigan State is rolling of late, I think they handle Indiana on the road. MSU 75-66

6.) Oklahoma State at Kansas State 3:00 pm ESPNU - Here is my upset pick of the weekend. Kansas State has not lost since late November in a horrendous holiday tournament so do not let their record fool you. They beat Gonzaga in late December, and they will score another big win on Saturday with a big Marcus Foster performance. KSU 72-70

7.) Duke at Notre Dame 3:00 pm CBS - First trip for Duke to South Bend, and let me tell you, it is a tough place to play. Yet I have no idea who will guard Jabari Parker and the rest of his Duke friends in this one plus I have no idea who is scoring for Notre Dame.  Duke big.  DUKE 85-68

10.) Oregon at 20. Colorado 4:00 pm FOX Sports 1 (Played Sunday) - Too bad this one is being played during Green Bay's game because I want another look at both of these teams. At some point, I feel like teams are just due for a loss, and despite the Buffs' offensive struggle on Thursday, I think they can get it done at home. COLO 68-64

21. San Diego State at 16. Kansas 3:30 pm CBS (Played Sunday) - I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Aztecs record is a bit inflated. They head to Phog, and I have to think it will not work out well for them. Might have to DVR so I can watch Joel Embiid later. He will have a massive game. KU 80-61

Cincinnati at 18. Memphis 11:00 am ESPN - This is one where I am just happy to see this rivalry back full-time. They played now and again since the C-USA split, but glad to see it back twice a year. Memphis is better than their ranking. They make a statement. MEMP 79-64

I will be doing a regular post on Friday like this, not always about Marquette. I will also have a wrap-up post on Monday with a Marquette recap as well.  

Charlie.

2013: A Sucky Wisconsin Sports Year

The year 2013 was a pretty good year personally but sports-wise, it was pretty rough. Granted, this is all sort of relative as the Badgers and Packers saw a pretty good deal of success for the season but ultimately fell short of their 2013 goals. The "WINsconsin" moniker had officially lost its luster and hopefully should be on a hiatus for the time being.

It all started on January 1, 2013 as the Badgers lost 20-14 to the Stanford Cardinal in the Rose Bowl. This marked the third straight Rose Bowl defeat for Bucky and they've all were pretty crushing defeats. This, of course, came after Bret Bielema abruptly departed for the apparently greener SEC pastures of Arkansas about a month before that last Rose Bowl. The Badgers were left looking for a head coach for the Rose Bowl. Former head coach and current Wisconsin athletic director, Barry Alvarez, took the reigns for just the Rose Bowl game. While it was a cute story, the game obviously didn't go as Barry or the rest of Badger Nation had planned.

The Badgers went 8-6 on the year but the Rose Bowl loss and the sudden departure of Bielema left a really sour taste in the mouths of Badger fans. Bielema's 2013 at Arkansas would end up being an even bigger disaster, especially after his wife tweeted "#karma" after the Badgers got screwed by the refs at the end of the Arizona State game. Ironically, the Razorbacks didn't win a game for the rest of the season after that tweet. I guess she got what she asked for.

Then, later in January, the Green Bay Packers were doing their usual thing and cruising right along until they met Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round of the NFC Playoffs. That day, the defense absolutely fell apart, letting Kaepernick run and pass all over them to the tune of 444 total yards and four touchdowns en route to a somewhat embarrassing 45-31 loss.

Many fans thought the Packers would cut ties with defensive coordinator Dom Capers but he's still hanging on by a thread.

Fast forward to April as the Brewers began got their season-to-forget underway. 2013 was a disaster essentially from start to finish for Milwaukee and it all really culminated in the suspension of star OF Ryan Braun for alleged performance enhancing drug use. The witch hunt for Braun boiled over in July and he was suspended for the rest of season. This was most likely a deal worked out between MLB and Braun's camp so that he could come back immediately in 2014 in hopes of moving on. You knew that Bud Selig, a Milwaukee native, would not be denied in his thirst for suspending Braun after he let a suspension slip through his fingers at the beginning of the 2012 season.

The Brewers as a team finished with a 74-88 record in 2013. There really wasn't a whole lot to hang their hats on either. However, we saw a true breakout year from CF Carlos Gomez who hit .284 with 24 home runs and took home a National League gold glove. Also, Brewers fans got their first taste of Scooter Gennett, who hit .324 in 69 games with the Brewers last year.

While Green Bay may have made the playoffs in 2013, they spent half of their season feeling like the Jacksonville Jaguars of the world as Aaron Rodgers missed seven games with injuries. People talked about  hair-brained conspiracies about why Rodgers was practicing yet not playing plus Packers fans having to watch the likes of Seneca Wallace, Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien. Just when you think Green Bay's fanbase could get some perspective about how lucky and fortunate they are to have two rock solid quarterbacks, they somehow snake into the playoffs and fans still live the privileged lifestyle.

Finally, the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks season was probably considered a great success internally as they achieved their coveted goal of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Now, to most fans with a brain, this season was anything but a success. The embarrassment of getting destroyed in four straight games against the Miami Heat after backing hard into the playoffs at the end of the season was truly rock bottom of the mediocrity treadmill, that the Bucks have been stuck in. Gone are the medicrity $wag twins (Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis) and the Bucks are moving in another direction and are hopefully getting off the treadmill.

Hopefully, 2014 ends up working out better for the major sports teams in the state of Wisconsin. It's off to a similar start with the Badgers dropping their New Year's Day bowl game yesterday once again. I'll wait to jump to conclusions though as there are still 363 for the rest of the teams to pick up the slack.

-Big Money