GETTING INSIDE
Wisconsin has never struggled to win at home, but if the surprising Badgers are going to contend in the Big Ten, they’ll have to do better on the road.
They’ll get another chance on Sunday when they travel to Penn State, kicking off a gruesome week that includes a road game at Michigan State and a home game against Purdue.
Wisconsin was stunned by Wisconsin-Green Bay, 88-84 on Dec. 9. That was both the Badgers’ last road game and the last time they lost. Wisconsin has won five straight by an average of 25 points, including a 65-43 smashing of Ohio State at the Kohl Center on New Year’s Eve.
Jordan Taylor has provided a big spark off the bench, averaging 12 points during the winning streak. Taylor has scored in double figures in five of the last seven games.
The Badgers are 9-0 at home this year, but 2-2 away from the Kohl Center.
The game against the Nittany Lions is the easiest of the first four to start league play. Wisconsin swept the series against the Nittany Lions last year, winning by four at home and 10 on the road.
Wisconsin 65, Ohio State 43: Trevon Hughes scored 16 points and Wisconsin stretched a 34-25 halftime lead to 20 early in the second half to blast the Buckeyes. It was Wisconsin’s eighth straight win over the Buckeyes at the Kohl Center.
Leading scorer Jon Leuer was held to 11 points—all in the second half—after falling into foul trouble and playing sparingly in the first half. A 14-0 run in the first half and 16-5 run in the second put the game away for the Badgers.
NOTES, QUOTES
• If you’re itching to see a helter-skelter game, then Wisconsin might not be the best place to look. Prior to its nonconference finale against UIC, Wisconsin ranked 330th out of 347 Division I teams in adjusted tempo according to Ken Pomeroy. The Badgers averaged 63 possessions in their first 11 games, which is roughly six possessions shy of the national norm.
This doesn’t mean the Badgers play stall-ball. It’s partially a reflection of Wisconsin’s ability to take care of the ball and the lack of turnovers forced by its packed-in man-to-man defense. The Badgers committed just 10.5 turnovers per game through Dec. 23 and forced just 12.3 miscues. Among Big Ten teams, only Michigan has committed fewer turnovers and only Iowa has forced fewer.
• Wisconsin wrapped up nonconference play as the Big Ten’s leader in scoring defense. The Badgers, who led the nation in scoring defense in 2007-08, allowed just 58.4 points per game in their 12-game pre-conference slate. Opponents shot just 39.7 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from 3-point range.
January At A Glance: In Wisconsin’s only game in front of a hostile crowd, the Badgers came up short in overtime at Green Bay. After opening Big Ten play with a win against Ohio State at the Kohl Center, four of the next five games find the Badgers at Penn State, Michigan State, Northwestern and Ohio State. The Badgers lost at MSU and NU (and didn’t play at OSU), so it’ll be a big feather in their cap if they can split those four or somehow take 3 of 4.
Quote To Note: “He takes what the defense gives him, knows how to hunt down separation and contact when it’s needed, how to read the angles in the post, when to put it on the floor, when not to put it on the floor.”—Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan talking about junior F Jon Leuer on madison.com.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Season Recap: Wisconsin wrapped up its non-conference schedule with a 10-2 record. The Badgers’ only stumbles were a seven-point loss to Gonzaga at the Maui Invitational and a 4-point overtime loss at Wisconsin-Green Bay in what served as the team’s only true road game. Wisconsin earned three wins that ought to be beneficial when it comes time to seed the NCAA Tournament: A 4-point home win over Duke, a 9-point home win over Marquette and a 9-point win over Maryland at Maui.
Player Rotation: Usual Starters—F Jon Leuer, F Keaton Nankivil, G Trevon Hughes, G Jason Bohannon, G Tim Jarmusz. Key Subs—G Jordan Taylor, F Ryan Evans.
Game Review:
Wisconsin 68, Milwaukee 58
Wisconsin 79, UIC 43
Wisconsin 65, Ohio State 43
Game Preview:
at Penn State, Sunday, Jan. 3
at Michigan State, Wednesday, Jan. 6
vs. Purdue, Saturday, Jan. 9
at Northwestern, Wednesday, Jan. 13
In Focus: Wisconsin lost its only pre-conference road game (the overtime loss at Green Bay on Dec. 9). That means the Badgers will have something to prove to themselves when they head to Penn State and Michigan State to start the new year. Wisconsin has two seniors and three juniors in its starting lineup, so hostile crowds shouldn’t be an issue. It’s important to remember, though, that the Badgers lost six of their nine Big Ten road games last year, so there aren’t a lot of positive memories on which to draw.
On The Spot: The Badgers have struggled with 3-pointers in their two road losses, shooting a combined 12 of 43 against Gonzaga (in the Maui Classic) and at Wisconsin-Green Bay. Wisconsin must shoot the ball better away from Kohl Center in order to be effective.
Roster Report:
• Reserve G Jordan Taylor scored 12 points off the bench against Ohio State and remains the Badgers’ top reserve. He has connected on 7 of 14 3-pointers over Wisconsin’s last four games.
• Leading scorer Jon Leuer’s 11 points against Ohio State marked the third time in 13 games he failed to score at least 15 points. On the plus side, the 6-foot-10 forward has passed for five assists in each of the past two games as defenses shift coverages his way.
• Junior G Tim Jarmusz remains in the starting lineup despite not scoring in either of Wisconsin’s last two games. He has missed all four of his attempts in 44 minutes over that stretch.
• Senior Trevon Hughes made the initial list for the Bob Cousy Award that goes to the nation’s best point guard. Hughes headed into Big Ten play as the league’s No. 6 scorer (16.4 ppg), but he doesn’t have the gaudy assists total or assist-to-turnover ratio that excites the voters. He averaged 2.8 assists during non-conference play and had 33 assists vs. 27 turnovers.
