Team Slips In Polls, J-Bo Rises In Charts

Wisconsin dropped three spots in each of the new Associated Press (#14) and USA Today/ESPN Coaches (#16) polls out today thanks to last week's home loss to Illinois. The Badgers got leapfrogged by red hot Ohio State and a gaggle of mid-majors.

Still, in the AP's eyes, UW has four wins over the nation's top 11 teams. The team probably has it's confidence back too after the 83-55 demolition of Indiana this past Saturday. Wisconsin jumped out to a 12-point lead within the first five minutes, scored 46 first-half points and at one time held a 35-point lead. The Hoosiers were just what the doctor ordered ...

Jason Bohannon was the catalyst, notching a career-high 30 points and tying a school record for 3-pointers (7) in a game. J-Bo shot so well that he was allowed to rest at the end of the game -- he played an unusually low 32 minutes in the blowout. I cannot believe how open Indiana left him.

For the the sake of matchups, Mike Bruesewitz stepped in for Keaton Nankivil (20 mins) with seven rebounds in 18 minutes. Six of his boards were on the offensive end, continuing Bruiser's season-long proficiency in that area. Nankivil and Trevon Hughes grabbed six rebounds apiece also. If there was a down side, it was Hughes going scoreless in the second half after dominating with 16 points in the opening half.

While Nankivil and Bohannon got some rest, the five days until UW's next game is where the real recovery will come from. In light of Jon Leuer's return to practice, I think Wisconsin should be an energized bunch as it enters the stretch run of the conference season. At 19-6 and 9-4 in the Big Ten, the Badgers are already about to exceed my modest expectations, which for the record was a non-committal 10 or 11 wins in league play and a 20-10 record prior to the Big Ten tourney.

Here's a a look at how the two senior guards' progress on a few all-time lists after the weekend:

Player - Career 3-Pointers (Season Total)
1. Tim Locum - 227
2. Kirk Penney - 217
3. Michael Finley - 213
4. Jason Bohannon - 200 (56)
5. Trent Jackson - 193

Player - Career 3-Point Attempts (Season Total)
1. Michael Finley - 631
2. Kirk Penney - 561
3. Jason Bohannon - 523 (139)
4. Devin Harris - 499
5. Tim Locum - 481
6. Sean Mason - 471
7. Trevon Hughes - 437 (137)
8. Kammron Taylor - 430
8. Trent Jackson - 430
10. Tracy Webster - 406

Player - Career Free Throws (Season Total)
8. Sean Mason - 332
9. Dick Cable - 316
10. Trevon Hughes - 310 (83)
passed Paul Morrow - 307

Player - Career Free Throw Attempts (Season Total)
7. Joe Franklin - 476
8. Paul Morrow - 449
9. Trevon Hughes - 431 (117)
10. James Johnson - 429

Speaking of Tracey Webster ... oops!

The Demetri McCamey Game

I'm not sure what I just witnessed.

Wait, yes I do. That was a beat down. And the result was No. 11 Wisconsin's first loss to a unranked Big Ten team at home under Bo Ryan.

Wisconsin was cruising in the early going, but could not stop Demetri McCamey at any point in this game. Illinois embarrassed Wisconsin with the pick-and-roll. I did not see any real adjustment at halftime, which means the Badgers let the Illini stars beat them instead of forcing some of the unproven Illinois players to make plays.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin struggled mightily to finish any plays at the rim. Ever since Jon Leuer went down and Wisconsin put on it's "perimeter-oriented team" pants, you knew this game was coming. Wisconsin scored just one (!) meaningful basket in the final 9:56 of the contest. The Badgers settled for 30 attempts from 3-point land. [box score]

McCamey scored 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting while handing out 7 assists. He set up Mike Tisdale time after time, allowing the 7'1" center to have a remarkable shooting game of his own (8-of-11, 19 points). In fact, Tisdale's early buckets were about the only thing keeping Illinois from getting blown out in the first half. Wisconsin went into the break up, 35-33, on a Trevon Hughes 3-pointer.

Both Hughes and Jordan Taylor left their best defense in the locker room tonight. But their job was made nearly impossible because they could not trust their interior help defense to stop McCamey. McCamey caught fire hitting shots over the Badger guards and then simply toyed with Keaton Nankivil when there was a switch on the pick. When he's on, McCamey can drive or stop and pop; he kept Wisconsin off guard all night.

It was probably one of the most frustrating games of Hughes' career. His body language was awful and he couldn't get anything going. Pop shot a horrendous 22% (4-of-18) from the field. He led the Badgers into panic mode late with an increasingly poor shot selection once Illinois took command. He's got to learn from this game and get back into early-season form.

Jason Bohannon led Wisconsin with 15 points. His shot looked great. But no one else was effective. I am shocked that Rob Wilson did not play more in the second half. Among significant contributors, the team's offensive efficiency was the highest (1.07 PPP) when Wilson was on the court. (ed. note: Ryan Evans and Jared Berggren posted nice efficiency numbers over a small sample size)

Some interesting touch fouls at times during the game, yet none of the typical calls you expect around the basket. Wisconsin was visibly frustrated by this. But UW got most of the favorable calls anyway, so I'm not complaining.

Instead of rising to second place in the Big Ten, Wisconsin (18-6, 8-4) drops to fifth for now. Illinois (17-8, 9-3) takes one more step closer to Michigan State.

Three-Guard Circus Surprise

The Badger circus rolled into West Lafayette some time ago and the spectacle begins in less than an hour. It's a battle to maintain hope in the Big Ten conference chase to catch the men in Spartan green. Many expect Purdue to deal Wisconsin's recent high-wire act of comeback victories a brutal end.

In each Wisconsin's last three wins, a different Badger guard has stepped forward from either a terrible half or straight up obscurity to propel UW to victory in the second half. Trevon Hughes beat Northwestern (though Jason Bohannon certainly did his part in the first half). Rob Wilson introduced himself to Michigan with perfect timing, along with Hughes' help. Finally, Jordan Taylor caught fire to down Penn State.

Who will step up this time and gun down Purdue? Will J-Bo take the mantle down the stretch or will one of the aforementioned guards perform an encore?

The Badgers made only 27.5% of their 3-pointers in the past four games, attempting 27 such shots on average. It's probably wishful thinking to expect a regression to the mean (season avg: 33.5%) when the opponent is better, the venue is less hospitable and UW's personnel remains the same.

But if UW can somehow take advantage of what statistics say is a lax Boilermaker perimeter defense and shoot at or above their season average percentage, that will be worth an extra 6 to 9 points over the course of 27 attempts. Purdue is allowing opponents to shoot 36.9% from deep this year, their worst mark since 2005-06.

Yet the Boilers remain a stellar defensive team. Purdue's philosophy seems to be, "Come into the paint and get denied" ... to which the current perimeter-oriented Wisconsin team says, "Perfect!"

Keaton Nankivil is coming off a very efficient game against Penn State, but had trouble staying on the court (foul trouble) against Purdue in Madison. He needs to turn the tables on JuJuan Johnson and Co. this time so that Bo Ryan is free to go small. Otherwise, the battle of the boards will get ugly.

I see Ryan Evans being the X-factor, along with Nankivil, to keep Wisconsin in the game. If the game is tight in the end, it will be time for another miracle finish from the three-guard -- no wait, four-guard -- circus that Bo is leading.

Q&A: Michigan Preview

In anticipation of Wisconsin's upcoming tilt with Michigan, fellow hoops-only blogger Dylan from umhoops.com agreed to exchange a few thoughts about the two teams. Believe it or not, the Wolverines have a chance to move ahead of the Badgers in the Big Ten standings Wednesday night, so the game is pretty important for postseason resumes and conference jockeying alike.

Check out Dylan's stellar blog for my half of the preview.

HM: We know the 3-pointers (29.5%) aren't dropping for Michigan. Has this been the biggest difference so far between last season and this season that has held Michigan back or is it something else?

UMH: We've actually had some healthy discussion about whether three-point shooting is the real problem for Michigan. Michigan shoots a ton of threes and hasn't made them at nearly the same clip they did last year. The statistics show that when Michigan can hit over 33% they are hard to beat. The problem is they have been just dreadful from behind the arc, one of the worst major conference teams in the country.

Will the UConn win carry over and kick start the Wolverines? How do you feel about the fans rushing the court afterward?

Michigan is playing the best basketball they have all year. They've won 4 out of 5 and really let the one loss, versus Northwestern at home, slip away in painful fashion. The schedule hasn't been the toughest but it's clear that Michigan has gained a little bit of confidence back after a dreadful start this year.

As for rushing the court, I was disappointed. I didn't think it was the right call but it also shows that our fan base is just dying for something to cheer about. Football has obviously been a disaster and this was the year the basketball team was supposed to take the next step and that obviously didn't happen. At the end of the day, it was probably fun for those involved but still a little foolish.

Wisconsin may be morphing into a perimeter-oriented team (POT) before our eyes. As someone familiar with John Beilein's teams at Michigan, is there a more hopeless feeling than watching a POT having a bad shooting night?

I was shocked to look at the stats and see how much Wisconsin looked like a perimeter oriented team. The Badgers have actually attempted a higher percentage of three point field goal attempts in conference play than my very own three point happy Wolverines (3PA/FGA 44.9% to 41.9%).

Considering that we are a POT that is shooting 29% from three-point range, I can tell you that I am very familiar with the hopeless feeling of watching missed three-point shots clang off the rim. The flip side is that a game can turn on a dime. Michigan scored 16 points in the first half at Penn State, didn't make a three until midway through the second half, and still managed to catch fire and come back from a double digit deficit thanks to the three point shot.

As painful as it is, a team that relies on the three is never out of the game.

Though people might assume Michigan will deploy a zone, should Wisconsin fans expect Beilein to throw a variety of defenses at the Badgers?

Michigan likes to start with their man-to-man defense which has improved by leaps and bounds over the last several weeks. They usually go to the 1-3-1 zone after made baskets for a stretch here and there, especially if it causes some turnovers and seems to work. Against bigger teams like Connecticut, Michigan also will throw in some 2-3 zone. Still, contrary to the popular belief that Michigan is an all 1-3-1 team, you will see very healthy portions of man-to-man defense.

Can DeShawn Sims take advantage of Jon Leuer's absence and wreak havoc in the paint on Wednesday?

Sims has the ability to be a dominant player on any night. However his tendency to disappear in some games, especially on the road, frustrates Michigan fans to no end. Most of the reason that Michigan has been playing so well in Big Ten play is because DeShawn Sims has brought his A-game (20.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 61.1 eFG% in conference play).

Sims tends to get comfortable against smaller opponents and if he makes his first couple shots he can definitely get on a roll. That being said, Wisconsin is great at defending two-point shots (42.8%) so it will probably be tough for him to get going. When Michigan is at their best they play inside out through Sims first and then spreading the ball out to their guards for three-point shots.

Which member of the supporting cast must have a good game in order for Michigan to steal one on the road?

The key for Michigan is that DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris play their game and at least one other player steps up. Laval Lucas-Perry, Stu Douglass, and Zack Novak can all shoot the ball from three-point range. When one, or even better two, of them can hit a few three pointers Michigan becomes very tough to beat. The problem is that none of them have been extremely accurate from three-point range this year.

Time To Regroup

Wisconsin looked like damaged goods in its 60-51 loss to Ohio State, well, because the Badgers are damaged.

But more interesting than the end result, we got a second glimpse into the transformation of a team missing perhaps its most potent offensive weapon in Jon Leuer. Not only is Leuer the team's best inside scorer, but it is looking more like he was UW's only reliable inside presence of any kind.

Ohio State held Wisconsin to 40% shooting, including 9-of-26 from behind the arc. Wisconsin attempted only five free throws. The Badgers fell behind by 12 points after one half even though Evan Turner was non-existent due to foul trouble. [box score]

That means UW has shot 52 3-pointers (30.7%) in back-to-back games without Leuer. In the previous 16 games, Wisconsin had been shooting 35.6% on 3-pointers. More disconcerting was that I remember seeing a total of only one post move the entire game against the Buckeyes and it didn't come from any of the forwards. With Leuer possibly out until the Big Ten Tournament, the Badgers cannot continue to rely on the three-headed guard trio alone.

Luckily for Bo Ryan's club, they get two winnable games at the Kohl Center after playing four of the last five games on the road.

On Wednesday the Badgers host the Michigan Wolverines, who are coming off their best win of the season over Connecticut. It might be a good time to host Michigan, which is just as perimeter-oriented as Wisconsin appears to be at the moment. For comparison, Michigan has attempted 44 threes in its last two games.

Dylan from umhoops.com will be joining us for a preview Q&A tomorrow.

Hughes and Bohannon Leaving Their Mark

Senior Trevon Hughes pushed his way onto Wisconsin's all-time Top 10 for career steals earlier this season, one of two categories in which I expected him to leave a permanent mark before he leaves the program. Right now he is eighth on the thefts list and has a shot to catch guys like Devin Harris, Michael Finley and even Michael Flowers if he excels.

The way things are progressing, however, I could be wrong about Hughes winding up on the all-time assists ladder. It's more likely that he will enter the school's top ten lists in the 3-point and free throw categories actually. When it comes to dimes, Jordan Taylor is this team's leader. Taylor is also well ahead of Hughes' career assist pace and could be headed onto that list in a few years himself.

Player - Career Steals (Season Total)
5. Michael Finley - 168
6. Devin Harris - 164
7. Trent Jackson - 151
8. Trevon Hughes - 141 (19)
9. Hennssy Auriantal - 133

I keep forgetting about Jason Bohannon since he has been pretty quiet this year, but he is obviously one to watch as he rises up the all-time 3-pointer charts. Against Cal Poly, J-Bo drew into a tie in the Wisconsin record books for both 3-pointers made and attempted [box score]. Hopefully he can break free in both categories against Milwaukee.

Bohannon is on pace to finish fourth and third, respectively, on those lists in addition to being a near-lock to hold one of the highest FT shooting percentages in school history when he is done.

Player - Career 3-Pointers (Season Total)
6. Tracy Webster - 167
7. Sean Mason - 166
8. Kammron Taylor - 163
9. Andy Kilbride - 162
9. Jason Bohannon - 162 (18)

Player - Career 3-Pt FG Attempts (Season Total)
4. Tim Locum - 481
5. Sean Mason - 471
6. Jason Bohannon - 430 (46)
6. Kammron Taylor - 430
6. Trent Jackson - 430

Maui Invitational: Game 2

Gonzaga coasted to victory over a slower Wisconsin team Tuesday night to advance to the Maui Invitational championship game. The Bulldogs proved they were an underrated team, one which will probably be ranked for much of the year.

Even though the Badgers avoided the foul trouble that plagued them the night before, they still got beat up on the inside. And not just by big man Robert Sacre. No, it was Gonzaga's penetration that manhandled Wisconsin. None of Wisconsin's guards could stay in front of Steven Gray or Demetri Goodson. In fact, the Zags' three starting guards combined for 42 points with only one 3-pointer among them. [box score]

Overall, way too much scrambling on defense throughout the contest. And more subpar shooting. Wisconsin shot under 40% for the second straight night and is hitting threes at a dreadful 24% clip (18-of-74!) through four games. The Zags made 33% more free throws (21) than the Badgers attempted (14). The unlikely trend gains momentum ...

The game commentators hit it right on the head when they were discussing how Wisconsin's offense comes within the confines of the system because the team lacks playmakers besides Trevon Hughes and perhaps Jon Leuer. Guys like Tim Jarmusz and Jason Bohannon can only take what the defense gives them. When the opponent gives nothing, those players give the Badgers nothing.

Even last night's stars had bad games. Hughes failed to get to the free throw line and had zero assists in 30 minutes. Keaton Nankivil had a tough night from the floor, including another missed dunk that may have brought down the house. My conclusion is that he must have small hands; I'm not sure how else he keeps clanking these.

The stats will show that Leuer shot under 50% from the field, but watching the first 35 minutes of play, you would have thought he hit everything. Leuer, who scored 18 points, found a real rhythm inside, especially with the short baseline jumpers. I would not mind if he stopped shooting treys altogether.

Early on, you could see bits and pieces of Hughes' style in Jordan Taylor's moves to the hoop. He continued to build on some those successfully drives and wound up with a career high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Pretty impressive and encouraging considering how much the team will need him to fill that role next season.

Tomorrow's title game matchup between Robert Sacre and Cincinnati's Yancy Gates should be fun to watch. Wisconsin will play Maryland in the 3rd place game at 3:30 pm CT. Three quality opponents to start the season in my opinion. By the way, SI.com's Luke Winn wrote a good article about the recent evolution of the preseason tournament scene and how it has been influenced by the Worldwide Leader.

Maui Invitational: Game 1

Wisconsin's 65-61 opening round victory over Arizona in the Maui Invitational was hard to watch, but watching Keaton Nankivil finish made it worthwhile.

Nankivil was looking plenty aggressive with a couple of dunk attempts gone awry in the second half. But he converted with authority when it counted -- the final two minutes. Even though I'd have traded the aggressiveness of the missed dunks for four points in a heartbeat, those plays set the stage for his strong finish, when Wisconsin absolutely had to have a big man on the attack. The junior is averaging 10 points and 7 boards through three games.

It was great to see the senior point guard seal the deal in the end also. Trevon Hughes seized the moment with his fourth steal -- off a missed free throw -- to regain possession with four seconds left and ensure victory. He paced the Badgers with 24 points and overcame some shaky free throw shooting and questionable shot attempts to make another big play. Even more encouraging was the chemistry he seemed to have with Nankivil in this whistle-fest that is now typical of the tropical early season tourneys. [box score]

On the very same day that a report about biased officiating hit the media, 55 fouls were called in this game. After one half, Wisconsin would probably agree with the researchers findings that referees call more fouls against the team that is leading. Fortunately the calls evened out in the second half. (Amazingly, the Wildcats lost three players to fouls in the end while only Jon Leuer fouled out for the Badgers.)

Last, but not least, freshman Mike Bruesewitz made a huge impact in covering for the decimated front court. Wisconsin had the best player on the court in Hughes, but the toughness that Bruesewitz brought to the table was the second-best thing to happen to the Badgers. He tore up the boards (6), tipped rebounds to others, took two charges and got on the floor for loose balls. I love the way he sets screens. In general, he just got you excited that he's playing this year.

My favorite play of the game was when Hughes picked up a deflected ball, accelerated to get in front of his man and then handed the ball off to Bruiser for a two-handed jam. It was a very smart move by Hughes to get the youngster an easy bucket to reward his hustle and get him involved on both ends of the floor after his rough debut back in Madison last Wednesday.

The second best play of the night for me was when Hughes found himself in a mismatch guarding Arizona's post player, yet stole the entry pass with a clean deflection.

Wisconsin came out with a lot of energy, opening a 13-0 lead, while Arizona lacked direction. But after building the lead UW lost its focus. The Wildcats got back into the game when the Badgers started running too much and taking quick shots. Arizona frosh Derrick Williams owned the paint for the majority of the game, putting both Leuer, Nankivil and even Ryan Evans into foul trouble from the start. His parade to the charity stripe led to a game-high 25 points.

The dark side of this win is that last season's reversal of free throw fortunes continues. Arizona nearly made as many freebies (26) as Wisconsin attempted (29). Even these numbers are skewed because Arizona had to foul in the final minute.

Outside shooting is another concern. Wisconsin needs a third shooter since Nankivil's 3-point shooting has come down to earth this season. Neither Tim Jarmusz nor Jordan Taylor look capable yet. Inside, Jared Berggren still looked out of place. Uncomfortable. Plus, he missed a box out that lead to one of the Wildcats' few first half buckets. Although, with all the bricks being thrown up, Wisconsin really did a great job of rebounding in the first 20 minutes, considering their true bigs were both on the bench.

Wisconsin faces Gonzaga tomorrow night in round two of the tournament.

The Perfect Storm Continues

There is no doubt that Wisconsin played better in its second meeting with Purdue than it has been lately. At least the Badgers came out with a little more intensity and toughness than usual, which was exciting to see. Unfortunately, the familiar contributing factors kept the Badgers (12-8, 3-5) down in the dumps again as they lost their fifth straight game, 64-63, on Tuesday night.

Wisconsin surrendered an effective field goal percentage of 66.7% to Purdue, which is the worst of the season by a wide margin. It looked as bad as the statistic sounds too. In the first half, the Badgers gave up too many layups to driving Boiler guards who faced no help defense. Though UW made up the halftime deficit with two quick 3-pointers, the adjustments to the penetration was a basic "pick your poison" situation. Purdue (16-4, 5-2) made three straight daggers from behind the arc in the final minutes to make the Badgers pay. And at least two of those shots were wide-open attempts.

:: Contributing factor #1: Wisconsin is a team of average defensive players. That will not cut it against Purdue, who has forced UW into two of its three least efficient nights defensively this season (Virginia Tech being the worst). In particular, Robbie Hummel does whatever he wants against Wisconsin since Purdue's screening offense leaves him wide open half of the time. I saw both Marcus Landry and Joe Krabbenhoft either make bad choices getting around screens or failing to keep up with the guy.

On the flip side, the Badgers were very efficient on offense themselves, but again, could not sustain the effort for a full 40 minutes. Whereas Trevon Hughes was penetrating earlier in the game, by the end, Jordan Taylor found no one calling for the ball at crunch time. In a game where the Boilermakers can individually shut down each of the Badgers with solid defense, submissiveness is a death sentence. The freshman point man took the last four meaningful shots for Wisconsin.

:: Contributing factor #2: The Badgers lack a true scorer with a leader's mentality. Give Purdue credit ... they turned it up a notch on defense when it counted. But the Wisconsin offense often looks its worst when a score is most critical. It bogged down on Tuesday night when each of UW's players became passive yet again. A big part of being a go-to player is knowing when to seize that inch that the defense gives you, even if it's early in the shot clock. Likewise, with Hughes in mind, the player must make sure he completes the play with a good finish or the best pass.

Though I don't fault Taylor for the his drive in the final 17 seconds, I think he is one of the last people you want shooting the 3-pointer Wisconsin was looking for when 35 seconds remained. Shooting percentages rarely lie and Taylor is hitting only one out of every nine shots from long distance.

:: Contributing factor #3: Jason Bohannon's slump is destroying the season. You would love to run a player like J-Bo off a double-screen every now and then to get him a good look, but even the open shots are not falling right now. It has gotten to the point where he is in his own head, passing up open opportunities. J-Bo will turn it around eventually, but I am not sure it will be in time to make a run to the NCAAs.

Keaton Nankivil's sweet touch was the silver lining for the Badgers in the midst of this mass of cloudy weather. You absolutely cannot waste a 21-point performance from someone who has given you nothing for weeks. Nankivil, who was averaging 4.3 ppg prior to the game, was feeeee-ling it. By hitting all five of his treys, the sophomore kept Wisconsin in the game all by himself. [box score]

Unfortunately, Nankivil's play also kept Jon Leuer on the bench for the most part. Leuer scored only two points and has been non-existent since the Minnesota game as his minutes have steadily dropped. I wonder what would have happened if Bo gave Leuer a chance to get in more of a rhythm last night alongside Nankivil. It would have come at the expense of Landry, but so what? JuJuan Johnson seems to render Landry invisible anyway. With Nankivil's outside shot falling, the team could have used Leuer's length and quickness in the mid-range zones. The lanky one seems to have fallen in love with the trey, though he is actually less effective on 3-pointers than Bohannon this year.

Lethargic Badgers Need To Fight Fire With Fire

Imagine you are in a college town at the tail end of a snowstorm in the middle of the holiday season. The local basketball team is playing host to a virtual unknown from somewhere, who knows where, out west that you would normally deem a cupcake. Before the game tickets are being given away outside the arena.

How would you expect the atmosphere to be indoors?

Yes, terrible. I knew that ahead of time, of course, so I had nice 100-level seats for last night's Idaho State game at the Kohl Center. The place seemed about 65-75% full and the only excitement in the air came on the game's final play after Trevon Hughes' lane violation on a missed free throw. As inconceivable as it would have sounded an hour earlier, the Bengals (2-6) had a chance to beat the Badgers (7-2) with one simple 3-pointer in the final seconds.

So the crowd stood and cheered. Finally.

Forget about Saturday's loss to Marquette. A three-point loss to a senior-laden, bonafide Top 25 team on its home court I can live with. But letting a Big Sky team from the land of Napoleon Dynamite hang around for the entire 40 minutes? That gets on my nerves.

Yes, Idaho State beat Utah and lost narrowly in overtime sessions to three other teams. But those teams stink. Is Wisconsin no better than Long Beach State, Boise State and Hawaii? The Badgers were ice cold from the field and needed a last-second trey from Jason Bohannon to sneak into the locker room up 29-27 at the half. When the team came out flat yet again to start the second half, Bo Ryan called a timeout to rip into his players a bit.

The Badgers seemed to heed the guidance, as they immediately started hitting the post and forcing action inside. It's unfortunate that it came to that, though. And even then, I noticed several times down the stretch where either Marcus Landry or Joe Krabbenhoft had their defenders sealed as big targets, but did not get more than a glance from their perimeter teammates.

What I was looking for during the game was some energy and aggressiveness from Wisconsin. Were they "playing down" to their home crowd's level? That's no excuse. Maybe the team misses the leadership of Michael Flowers and Brian Butch more than we would like to admit.

I began to wonder if any aggressiveness would show up without Bo's prodding. The team took too many 3-pointers (22) and let Idaho State's zone defense dictate what the Badgers wanted to do, instead of taking back their house. Fortunately, Wisconsin's typical advantages -- rebounding and free throw shooting -- bailed out the Badgers.

Stats by StatSheet.com

Yet, Wisconsin looked pretty silly closing out the game against the full court press, just like it did the entire game against Marquette's pressure defense. I think the argument that Wisconsin struggles on inbounds plays is valid, however, it is simply an extension of the team's struggles against any type of pressure.

You have to attack aggressiveness with aggressive action yourself. On one particular inbounds play, Bohannon simply expected to be fouled and did not even try to dribble out of the pressure. Well, sure enough, he found himself in a nice little Bengal trap and Krabbenhoft had to burn a timeout. It was pathetic. Wisconsin's ballhandlers must improve against pressure in the half-court offense too if that is what is causing trouble getting the ball inside regularly.

None of this would be the difference between winning and losing if it were not for the growing pains on defense, where this year's team is not up to snuff. Wisconsin allowed Idaho State to shoot over 53%. [box score] While perhaps more inspired against the Golden Eagles, Wisconsin held Marquette closer to 40% shooting, yet fouled too often and lost the offensive rebounding battle, swinging normal advantages into disadvantages that resulted in a tough loss.

Stats by StatSheet.com

On the bright side it's still early. On the downside, there is a lot to work on, because Texas and A.J. Abrams are just around the corner.

Meeting the Challenge

The current joy of being a Wisconsin basketball fan is being able to see your team silence a turbulent home crowd with a game-winning shot in a big road game for the second year in a row. In a scene vaguely reminiscent of Michael Flowers' game-changing final sequence against Texas last year, Trevon Hughes calmly glided down the floor in a tie game and nailed a tough floater in traffic with less than a second left to beat Virginia Tech. The basket struck an opening blow for the Big Ten in its annual quest for national respect against the big, bad Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Badgers had been unable to corral VT's A.D. Vassallo during the second half as he single-handedly dismantled a fairly comfortable Wisconsin lead down the stretch. Vassallo's 3-pointer with seven seconds left sent the home crowd into pandemonium, yet distracted the team from organizing its full-court pressure and anything else other than token defense. That same pressure had given Badgers like Hughes, Joe Krabbenhoft and Jason Bohannon fits for the previous minute, allowing the Hokies to chip away.

Virginia Tech's momentary lapse (or more likely, a deliberate strategy) proved to be serendipitous, as Hughes was unimpeded in his progress down court. He even appeared to get fouled prior to his release. Following a brief celebratory reaction themselves, Krabby gathered the team quick enough to ensure VT got no easy looks at a half-court heave.

First and foremost, this was a great college basketball game. At last, I think even non-Wisconsin fans could agree that it was truly enjoyable to watch. All the elements were there: star power heating up at the right time (Vassallo), a valiant comeback by an underdog, a slighted team with a possible chip on its shoulder (UW), and both teams shooting the lights out.

It is time to embrace the Badgers as a team of shooters; last year was no fluke. Virginia Tech hit 11-of-15 from behind the arc and 26-of-51 (51%) overall from the field. Yet Wisconsin one-upped the Hokies by connecting on 12-of-18 3-pointers en route to 51.1% overall shooting. [box score]

Vassallo was the great Hokie hope in the end, striking from 30-feet out on a few occasions as he posted 24 of his game-high 30 points after halftime, thanks to six treys. I kept yelling at the TV that #40 was the only guy the Badgers needed to guard, yet he kept getting great looks. Oddly, he was best guarded on his final shot that tied the game.

UW really needs to tighten up its perimeter defense before league play starts, but the problem seems to be that guys like Bohannon and Tim Jarmusz have to allow quicker players a cushion so they do not get blown by off the dribble. This is where the development of Rob Wilson comes into play. Wilson, by the way, provided a great early spark for the team in this game.

Jon Leuer gets my nod for UW's player of the game. He sank both of his shots from long distance and showed the offensive versatility and aggressiveness that has had fans (and coaches) salivating for about a year now. Even his attempted put-back dunk that rimmed out had me out of my seat. Leuer finished with 17 points on 11 attempts to go along with six rebounds and two blocks.

Landry missed only one shot and finished with another studly line: a team-high 18 points & 4 assists, plus two more blocks. Lo and behold, J-Bo knocked down three treys after missing his first couple of open looks. A great night all around.

The elephant in the room of course is the "Big Donut" put up by VT's Jeff Allen. Hampered by a few ticky-tack fouls (and some even dumber, obvious fouls), Allen played only 15 minutes and had two points.

Had Allen not fouled out, I think the dynamic of the game changes and as crazy as it sounds, it may not have been as close. With Allen in the game, maybe Vassallo wouldn't have gotten a chance to catch fire. Marcus Landry was holding his own -- and more -- offensively with Allen doing all he could to slow the goggled one. Landry went wild from outside, hitting all four of his 3-point attempts. He did not have to worry about guarding Allen himself, though, as Keaton Nankivil picked up the assignment to begin the game. But no doubt, Allen's absence allowed guys like Leuer a reprieve on defense.

Savor the flavor: replay of the last 12 seconds [video]

The New "Downtown"

Will bricklayers be out in record numbers now that the NCAA has moved the men's three-point line back one foot to 20'9"? Or will a select few sharpshooters separate from the pack and earn the green light from the new distance?

As Andy Katz detailed last month, the changes are mental more than physical, not just because of the longer distance, but due to the presence of multiple different three-point lines painted on the court. The head coach at Mississippi even wants to see a one-foot-thick line painted on the court, though more for the referees' sake than the players.

If confusion is a real issue for some players, it will add reaction time and diminish the instincts of these top-shelf athletes, who have grown up shooting treys from the same distance for years.

Spectators are sure to be even less accustomed to the new line when the season starts; perhaps even chiding a player for taking such a deep shot before coming to their senses. Still to be determined is if fans will notice a difference in gameplay. It is hard to see the new line affecting teams that play a run-and-gun style of offense. Some shooters on those rosters regularly pull up from well behind the arc already. Furthermore, the difference can be overcome for just about anyone just through repetition. If a player works enough in the offseason during game conditions, he will become comfortable with the new distance and from which line to fire.

Again, it's not like the new distance is out near NBA range (23'9"). The thing to watch for then is which players actually put in that extra work before the season starts to stretched their range and get accustomed to the new length. Will that big man who has developed his outside game start jacking up 20-footers rather than refine a couple more post moves? Or take a tweener, like Marcus Landry, for example. I am sure Landry can hit the longer shot in practice. But from what I have seen in games past, his range extends as far as him toeing the line. It will be interesting to see if Landry's three-point attempts reach the 54 he tried last year.

How might the new distance affect the Badgers
The rule change could actually be coming at a good time for the Badgers, as Brian Butch and Michael Flowers have both just graduated. We saw Butch sink a long 3-pointer to beat Indiana, but it wasn't pretty. Flowers wound up as a very good spot-up three-point shooter, but it took a lot of work.

Wisconsin's starting guards this year, Jason Bohannon and Trevon Hughes, definitely have plenty of range on their outside shot--though Pop needs to improve his shot selection in general. Beyond the surefire starters, I think Jon Leuer and Tim Jarmusz should be able to handle the transition. On the other hand, Keaton Nankivil probably won't be putting up any threes even though his ability to hit from outside was touted as a bonus for a power forward prospect.

If the returning junior guards are a push and Landry is not a candidate to put up any more threes than he did last year, you have 200 attempts combined vacated by Butch and Flowers. We can expect a rise in attempts from Leuer and Jarmusz based on playing time. I have not seen enough of any incoming freshmen to comment on them, but none are known as sharpshooters at this point and there is sparse playing time available in the backcourt anyway.

In my eyes, the Badgers may not attempt as many three-pointers as last year and Bo Ryan may be happy with that. Wisconsin's average margin of victory has been significantly higher (+12.9 in '08, +12.3 in '07) as the team has reduced its average three-point attempts by about two per game. The Badgers averaged over 18 3-pt FGA/g the two years prior to their back-to-back 30-win seasons.

Defensively, I have heard people say that the new distance could harm the Badgers because they have been burned by hot three-point shooting in the past and now they will have to extend even further, opening up the middle of the lane. To that I say, maybe so. That is the point, isn't it? But Wisconsin will be in the same boat as everyone else in that regard and traditionally the Badgers possess one of the most stout team defenses in the land. Plus, take one look at UW's future rosters--seeing more room for big men to maneuver looks pretty darn good, doesn't it?

For now, we'll just wait and see how all the extra lines look on the new court ...

Links:
- Here's to bright futures, Michigan State!
- Rundown on some of the talented backcourt players from Illinois in the Class of 2009. Wisconsin getting one was key, but having that many prospects in your backyard is almost silly.

Stephen Bardo Is A Moron

Immediately after Wisconsin dismantled Michigan State in front of a nationwide cable audience, the ESPN talking heads asked "analyst" Stephen Bardo to name which team he would pick to go farther in the post-season. Bardo went on to spew some vague, nonsensical reasons why he likes Michigan State better. Can someone get him a television set? The Badgers improved to 24-4 and 14-2 in the Big Ten by holding the Spartans (22-6, 10-5) to 42 points! Bardo must be dreaming.

I was hoping to be able to provide a running diary of this game, but the opportunity did not materialize. My lack of both the Big Ten Network and a DVR has made that type of post difficult this season. But even if I had put one together, I may have been at a loss for words -- how does one react to an "comfortable" victory over Michigan State?

The obvious answer would be to react jubilantly. After all, this may have been the biggest game of the conference season given the timing and possible title implications. This was the type of game where every single basket is magnified in importance. Taking care of the ball is paramount. Bo Ryan and Trevon Hughes saw to that, as the team set a school record with only one turnover.

One could also respond with a bit of surprise. Take a closer look and it was a game of bucking expected trends. Michigan State's problem all year has been turnovers, but the Spartans cut down on those versus the Badgers. Joe Krabbenhoft hit two long jumpers to keep MSU's defense guessing as it sagged to limited UW's inside game. Those jumpers were vital, as Krabby's garbage hoops did not fall and his attempt at leading a 2-on-1 fast break with Michael Flowers was pathetically timid. Instead of Jason Bohannon raining threes, it was Brian Butch catching fire from 3-point land. Those four treys, a career-high, were crucial to proving Izzo wrong: Wisconsin can beat you from the outside. [box score]

A quick Butch 3-point shooting breakdown ...
First 18 games: 3/32 (9.4%)
Last 10 games: 15/25 (60.0%)
Season total: 18/57 (31.6%)

Besides the Polar Bear's hot streak, one constant in this latest Badger winning streak has been Flowers. My affinity for him has been well-stated. His shooting accuracy is no longer a fad, it is reality. Through trial and error, Flowers now possesses the perfect level of aggressiveness on offense and defense. We have not seen him pick up a fourth foul in a game since January 10. Yet the results are even better, whether it be hounding Neitzel into a 1-for-10 shooting night or picking up his offensive production. Since the second loss to Purdue (5 games), Flowers has made 10-of-18 3-pointers, doled out 17 assists with 6 TOs and 6 steals.

I love the rivalry with Michigan State. Those with hatred for Marquette might disagree, but there is no bigger matchup for me each year. Nothing else touches it. It feels good to be on the winning side again, even if the Spartans seem a little off their game this year.

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Devin Harris got busy tonight against the Bucks in his New Jersey home debut. Check out the video highlights for his vicious drive and flush over Andrew Bogut. He moves so fast, he can't even stay upright all the time. Harris has some very nice running mates in Jersey like Jefferson and Carter, so hopefully he stays healthy and continues to spread his more-chiseled-yet-still-scrawny wings.