On the Stove Top: NBA Draft Talk

Today Trevon Hughes participated in his third pre-draft workout of the month, this time for the Indiana Pacers. On Friday, Hughes joined five others in working out for the Charlotte Bobcats, who do not have a pick in this year's draft.

Prior to that, Hughes had worked out with the Sacramento Kings on June 3 and the Milwaukee Bucks in May.

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It's been a while since I touched on the Milwaukee Bucks here, but they made headlines today. Following the (expected) revelation that John Salmons will opt out of his contract this month, Milwaukee has reportedly shipped Dan Gadzuric and Charlie Bell to the Warriors in exchange for Corey Maggette.

Seems like another Richard Jefferson experiment to me. What is John Hammond thinking? Maggette is just another me-first wing player who came off the bench 20+ times for a 26-win Golden State team. Sure, Milwaukee is getting a player with actual skills, but the trade only saves money for one season since Maggette has three years of bloated salary remaining on his deal. Oh, and he can't shoot threes either.

Read more »

Keeping Track of Hughes News

Trevon Hughes has had a busy month preparing for his professional basketball career. But he still had time to speak his mind as he works toward new opportunities.

During the first week of May, Hughes chose his representation by signing on with Kyle Weaver's agent, Mike Hodges. Hodges represents at least three other players in this year's pool of pro hopefuls, including likely NBA draft picks Darington Hobson (New Mexico) and the underrated Dominique Jones (South Florida).

Then about 10 days ago, Hughes got his feet wet in a pre-draft workout with the "hometown" Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks typically invite former college or high school stars from the area to showcase themselves at these workouts whether or not there is a good fit for them on the team. I think it's a good practice.

But Hughes really made headlines that day with a couple bizarre remarks in an Associated Press story in which he admitted he often thought Bo Ryan "hated" him during his Wisconsin career. A week later I am still baffled by Pop's comments and left to wonder what effect they could have on an incoming recruit. I have always thought that Hughes' success on and off the court could be instrumental to bringing in some of the younger players Wisconsin has courted. Who do you think guys like Vander Blue or George Marshall identify with when they consider the Badgers?

Hughes went on to say he didn't think Bo's swing offense hampered his chances of making the NBA, even though he said the system "probably hides your talent" somewhat. What kind of opportunity Hughes gets at the next level remains to be seen. (**Update: Hughes worked out for Sacramento on June 3**)

I actually didn't realize that Hughes was already 23-years-old until I found his profile on Draft Express while looking for pre-draft measurements. There wasn't much info available for Hughes and the measurables didn't particularly stand out from this year's crop either. He stands over six feet tall without shoes, with an average wingspan and a standing reach of just under eight feet.

For comparison's sake, Hughes looks a lot like Brandin Knight, Sean Singletary, Jonny Flynn or Lawrence Westbrook if you squint at 'em. Looking at some comparisons (Knight or Singletary), maybe Pop could have a cup of coffee in the NBA. But it's more likely that he's the next Badger destined to thrive in Europe or the D-League.

In April, Trevon Hughes survived a game two hiccup to average 12.3 pts, 6 rebs, 3.3 assts and 1.6 stls per game at the Portsmouth Invitational. While his assist-to-turnover ratio wasn't great, he kept it over 1:1 while playing the fourth-most minutes of any player. Pop exploded for 16 second-half points in his team's championship game victory. [box score]

Vote for Postseason Awards

Tuesday night was the Wisconsin men's basketball postseason reception. In particular, the season highlight video put together by Matt Ryan was very well done and is worth a look.

Along the same lines, online voting ends today for the 2009-10 men's basketball awards. When I watched the nominees for Play of the Year or Individual Performance of the Year, I got a renewed sense of appreciation for the great year this group of Badgers really had. Now that a few weeks have passed since the end of the season, it doesn't seem so bad that the team peaked earlier than you'd like -- the enjoyable part is that Wisconsin reached a significant peak, highlighted by three home wins over teams ranked in the Coaches' Top 5.

Voting is closed -- see the winners now!

Allow me to make a case in each category:

1. Best Game of the Season: 73-69 win over Duke
A no-brainer really. Duke is a combination college hoops royalty and the evil empire all in one, so this was a big hill to climb. A wire-to-wire win eradicated a bad memory from 2007 and this contest was close enough throughout that the outcome was truly up for grabs. A not-so-close second place goes to punishing Michigan State, 67-49, at the Kohl Center in February.

2. Greatest Individual Performance: Trevon Hughes vs. Duke
Several good options here, but Hughes played perhaps the finest game of his career against the Blue Devils. Not a stat-stuffer event (he added just 2 rebs, 2 assts, 1 blk & 1 stl), but Hughes was the one Badger who the team was counting on to athletically get his own shot that night. He delivered with 26 pts. And had zero turnovers to boot. The sheer variety of way in which he scored was dazzling.

I would be remiss if I didn't reiterate how much I enjoyed watching Keaton Nankivil hit 7-of-8 treys in the losing effort at Purdue. Just amazing, which is more than I can say about Jason Bohannon's barrage against Indiana I'm afraid. The Hoosiers are just terrible. But both Hughes' night on the road in Evanston and Jordan Taylor's performance against Penn State both received heavy consideration for my vote. I remember feeling resigned to Wisconsin dropping a home game to the Nittany Lions of all teams while listening to that game on the radio. Then Taylor became possessed ... and a minor miracle ensued. Good times!

3. Play of the Year: Hughes' steal and alley-oop to Nankivil vs. Iowa
Showtime at the Kohl Center showcased Pop's defense, ball handling and knack for the moment, as well as Nankivil's athleticism. Gave the crowd exactly what they wanted to punctuate a big win.

Note this wasn't called the "most important" play of the year or else I would have voted for Jon Leuer's winner against Wofford, which was incredibly clutch. And the prettiest has got to be Hughes' spin and rainbow J against Duke. That one is etched in my memory for good.

4. Greatest Team Accomplishment: Beating three Top 10 teams
This is one of those things that happens once in a generation really (at least for Wisconsin it had been 21 seasons). Kind of ties into the 16-1 home record also. Leading the nation in fewest turnovers looks nice on the résumé, but I'd trade it for a few more wins in a heartbeat.

5. Team MVP: Jon Leuer
This one was tough. I believe Leuer is the most talented player on the roster and he really came into this own this year. As the only legit post presence on the team, he was the single player most vital to UW's success. Wisconsin's success without Leuer was admirable, but the way Hughes reverted to his old ways at the season's end pretty much clinched this one in my mind. A close third to J-Bo, who really stepped up when Bo needed him most (during Leuer's injury).

6. Most Improved Player: Jordan Taylor
Just a sophomore, Taylor had basically become Wisconsin's true point guard even before he was inserted into the starting lineup. His mercurial assist-to-turnover ratio (3:1) stands out the most, along with his assists, but it was his confidence that took the biggest step. Perhaps that's why he improved his 3-point shooting from 19% to 32.5% and his overall FG% from 26% to nearly 40% (a 71% and 51% improvement, respectively!!).

This category was clearly a two-horse race between JT and Leuer. Leuer started the year as a bit player with potential to a potential NBA draft pick and one of the favorites for next year's Big Ten Player of the Year award.

7. Which non-starter are you most excited about: Ryan Evans
And of the four players, this was my order: Evans > Rob Wilson > Mike Bruesewitz > Jared Berggren. Wilson was my first thought, since I believe he will blossom with a bump up to more playing time as a junior. Love his aggressiveness. The more I thought about it though, aggressiveness is Evans' game too. And as a freshman, Evans played even more than Wilson did, despite still being such a raw prospect. His skill set is much different than anyone else on next year's team. Evans is a big x-factor -- I'd love to see that haircut in the starting five next year.

Departing Seniors vs. The Record Book

Now that the books have closed on the careers of Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon, it's time to take a look at what statistical mark they actually left on the program. The duo graces many of Wisconsin's career leaderboards after a successful senior campaign that brought both players all-conference honors.

Hughes was Second Team All-Big Ten and made the conference's All-Defensive Team this season. Bohannon, the 2007-08 Sixth Man of the Year, was a Third Team All-Big Ten choice and received Wisconsin's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award as well.

As expected, Bohannon finished among Wisconsin's all-time best in career free throw percentage when he set a personal best (87.3%) from the charity stripe in 2009-10. But J-Bo's steady contributions also allowed him to shatter the school record for minutes played in one season with 1,214, topping Kam Taylor's old mark. The Iowan ranks second all-time with 135 game appearances, behind only Krabbenhoft (136).

Pop, on the other hand, started 100 of the 132 games he played in his career, good for eighth and fourth respectively. His most prolific accomplishment was passing Michael Flowers to rank third in career steals. Hughes also edged Joe Krabbenhoft by one assist to reach the Top Ten in all-time assists.

But Jordan Taylor may surpass Hughes in assists as soon as next season. Not to be out-done by his older teammates, Taylor tied for the 7th-most assists in a single season, tying Mark Vershaw and Wes Matthews with 118 dimes. The sophomore also boasted the third-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Wisconsin history (3.03:1). But it was Jon Leuer, despite missing nine games, who got the only honorable mention league honors for the Badgers.

Player - Career Steals (Season Total)
1. Mike Kelley - 275
2. Tracy Webster - 183
3. Trevon Hughes - 177 (55)
4. Michael Flowers - 171
5. Mike Wilkinson - 169
6. Michael Finley - 168
7. Devin Harris - 164
8. Trent Jackson - 151
9. Hennssy Auriantal - 133
10. Claude Gregory - 131

Player - Career Assists (Season Total)
1. Tracy Webster - 501
2. Mike Heineman - 388
3. Michael Finley - 371
4. Mike Kelley - 344
5. Tom Molaski - 335
6. Mark Vershaw - 311
7. Devin Harris - 295
8. Arnold Gaines - 290
9. Michael Flowers - 278
10. Trevon Hughes - 277 (86)

Player - Career 3-Point Field Goals (Season Total)
1. Tim Locum - 227
2. Kirk Penney - 217
3. Michael Finley - 213
4. Jason Bohannon - 212 (68, tied for 9th-most in a season)
5. Trent Jackson - 193
6. Devin Harris - 187
7. Trevon Hughes - 175 (74, tied for 4th-most in a season)
8. Tracy Webster - 167
9. Sean Mason - 166
10. Kammron Taylor - 163

Player - Career 3-Point Field Goal Attempts (Season Total)
1. Michael Finley - 631
2. Kirk Penney - 561
3. Jason Bohannon - 559 (175, tied himself for 8th-most in a season)
4. Devin Harris - 499
5. Trevon Hughes - 487 (187, 5th-most in a season)
6. Tim Locum - 481
7. Sean Mason - 471
8. Kammron Taylor - 430 (tie)
8. Trent Jackson - 430 (tie)
10. Tracy Webster - 406

Player - Career Free Throws (Season Total)
1. Alando Tucker - 520
2. Michael Finley - 456
3. Claude Gregory - 433
4. Danny Jones - 408
4. Clarence Sherrod - 408
6. Mike Wilkinson - 394
7. Devin Harris - 362
8. Trevon Hughes - 334 (107)
9. Sean Mason - 332
10. Dick Cable - 316

Player - Career Free Throw Attempts (Season Total)
1. Alando Tucker - 817
2. Danny Jones - 599
3. Michael Finley - 593
4. Claude Gregory - 586
5. Mike Wilkinson - 534
6. Clarence Sherrod - 522
7. Joe Franklin - 476
8. Trevon Hughes - 464 (150)
9. Paul Morrow - 449
10. James Johnson - 429

Player - Career Free Throw Percentage (Season)
1. Rick Olson - .870
2. Tim Locum - .856
3. Jason Bohannon - .848 (.873, 6th-best single-season mark)
4. Wes Matthews - .817
5. Mike Carlin - .804
6. Dick Miller - .801
7. Kammron Taylor - .795
8. Sean Mason - .794
9. Clarence Sherrod - .782
10. Devin Harris - .778

Player - Career Minutes (Season Total)
1. Alando Tucker - 4,247
2. Mike Wilkinson - 4,023
3. Rick Olson - 3,962
4. Michael Finley - 3,945
5. Jason Bohannon - 3,749 (1,214, most in Wisconsin single-season history)
6. Mike Kelley - 3,712
7. Danny Jones - 3,623
8. Mark Vershaw - 3,466
9. Trevon Hughes - 3,438 (1,077)
10. Kirk Penney - 3,416

On the Stove Top: 4/9/10

Greg Gard is one of five official finalists for the UW-Green Bay head coaching position. The process is expected to drag into next week when a round of more formal interviews will take place on campus. Former Wisconsin interim head coach Brad Soderberg declined consideration.

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In a follow-up to Wednesday's post, day one at Portsmouth went pretty smoothly for Trevon Hughes. He led his team to a blowout victory with a well-rounded effort. Other Big Ten players in the tournament include DeShawn Sims and Lawrence Westbrook. Hughes goes up against Baylor's Tweety Carter as his team resumes play tonight.

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Draft Express was on the scene as the Nike Hoop Summit practices began and incoming UW recruit Duje Dukan got a shout out for his shooting prowess. While Dukan measured over 6'8" tall in shoes, I found it interesting that his wingspan was only 6'7". So despite his nice height as a shooting forward, Dukan is not necessarily "long" in the hoops sense.
[Saturday's results] [box score]

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The premature speculation toward next season ran rampant after Duke's win over Butler Monday night. More often than not, Wisconsin is again being overlooked. Here's just a sampling of early Top 25 lists for 2010-11 and where (if) the Badgers ranks ...

• NBC's Beyond the Arc: Not Considered
• CBS' Gary Parrish: #23
• FOX's Jeff Goodman: Among "More to Watch"
• ESPN's Andy Katz: Not even "On the cusp"
• SI's Luke Winn: #15
• Rush the Court: Just missed
• Rivals: Among "Others considered"
• Online Sport Fanatic: #18
• CollegeHoops.net: #21

Keep in mind these lists hang in varying degrees of accuracy due to the stream of NBA early entrant announcements. The Sporting News keeps a nice up-to-date list of those players.

Hughes Eyes Post-Wisconsin Career

The long, often harsh, road toward a professional basketball career begins today for Wisconsin guard Trevon Hughes as the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament tips off once again.

Coincidentally, Hughes will be teaming up with Cornell's Ryan Wittman on the K&D Rounds Landscaping team. The PIT website will update with scores and stats as they become available throughout the week.

Hughes is one of 64 seniors hoping to make a good impression on even one NBA team. And if not, then at least some European scouts. The rosters have shuffled a bit since they were announced due to some injuries. Draft Express breaks down who the top prospects are and the surprising omissions. Stay healthy Pop!

Previous participants at Portsmouth include former Badgers Marcus Landry and Brian Butch, who both recently found themselves called up to the big leagues. Landry was recalled by the Celtics, meaning Boston now has two Badgers on its roster (the other: Michael Finley). Butch was signed by Denver for the remainder of this season after a stellar stint in the D-League.

Hughes acquitted himself just fine in last Friday's NABC College All-Star Game at the Final Four. It's no surprise that he jacked up a trey about 10 seconds into the game, but he also dished out four assists and stayed true to form with solid rebounding (six boards). Jason Bohannon started out hot in the weekend's 3-point shooting contest but was eliminated in the second round.

Tournaments Launch Today

Getting work done gets a little harder starting today when both the NCAA and WIAA state high school tournaments get underway.

The small high schools kick things off early with the Division 4 semifinals. I saw a video clip on the news the other night about Royall's first trip to state. Unfortunately those kids face perennial powerhouse Randolph. From the glimpse I got, let's just say if high school games had point spreads, they couldn't set this one high enough.

The Division 1 quarterfinals follow. Though it lacks the overall star power of some previous seasons, there are good story lines even though there are no Wisconsin recruits among the eight teams. The state's second-leading scorer leads undefeated Antigo (24-0) against Dave Mader's nephew Sam of Appleton East. Madison Memorial (21-4) and Milwaukee Hamilton (20-3), with their respective sets of collegiate prospects, appear to be on a title game collision course and face over-matched squads in the quarters. Hartland Arrowhead topped J.P. Tokoto's Menomonee Falls team and takes on local underdog Verona.

I'd pick Hamilton, starting five talented juniors and led by former Vincent coach Tom Diener, if I were a betting man ...

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With all five Big Ten teams playing on Friday, I am looking forward to the (5)Butler-(12)UTEP game tonight. If these two teams weren't matched up together, I might have made both of them my sleeper picks in my bracket. The 6-11 tilt between Marquette and Washington ought to be good as well.

The pendulum has swung back in Wisconsin's favor at some outlets, becoming a somewhat trendy pick to knock off top-seeded Kentucky out East. Statistically, the Badgers have the best chance of surviving to the Final 4 out of that region, according to Ken Pomeroy (via John Gasaway). That's pretty lofty expectations for a team that has beaten only one NCAA tournament team in the last two months. It is a sign of hard-earned respect nonetheless.

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Following in the foot steps of Marcus Landry's burgeoning family, the most clichéd human interest story for Wisconsin's 2009-10 basketball team undoubtedly became Trevon Hughes' path from troubled Queens teen to a Wisconsin military school. Here's the latest piece (from the New York Daily News) to add to the collection.

A Tale Of Two Cities

Heading into the NCAA Tournament, the memory of Wisconsin's last performance still has me shaking my head.

Sure, we knew Illinois was capable of giving UW fits after the Illini pick-and-rolled the Badgers to death in February. Wisconsin appeared to have its groove back, however, when Jon Leuer and Co. overcame foul trouble to stomp Illinois on its home court, 72-57. The seeds of a letdown were there though. Foul trouble. The senior guards shooting 5-of-18. Mediocre free throw shooting.

Then, 120 miles east of Champaign, Wisconsin delivered a colossal stinker of a performance in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals where they shot less than 29% as a team. [box score]

The most puzzling thing to me about the loss is enigmatic performances of Mike Tisdale. Doesn't Wisconsin watch film on this guy? If Tisdale got to face the Badgers every game, he'd be a first team All-American. Tisdale even hit both 3-pointers he tried -- on his third and fourth attempts of the season!

The Riverton, Ill. native posted monster games against Northwestern and Indiana, but in the last nine games he's had his third, fourth and sixth-highest scoring games of the year against Wisconsin. And it's the shooting efficiency (74%) against UW that is the most impressive:

DATE	CITY	RESULT	MIN	FG	FGA	FTM	FTA	3PM	3PA	PTS	REB	BLK	PF
2/9	Madison	W 63-56	37	8	11	3	3	0	1	19	3	1	1
3/7	Champaign	L 72-57	29	4	6	8	8	0	0	16	4	1	2
3/12	Indy	W 58-54	35	8	10	3	5	2	2	21	8	1	4

Tisdale fouled out with 10 points in the following game as Illinois fell in double OT to Ohio State.

So are there any sweet-shooting 7-footers on the Wofford squad? Hardly. The Terriers' tallest rotation player, Corey Godzinski, is listed at 6'9" and averages 3.7 pts and 1.9 rebs in 13 min/g. Temple has a couple big men in the starting lineup and Cornell has a very good 7-footer in Jeff Foote.

After Trevon Hughes missed his first 11 shots last Friday and Jason Bohannon finished 1-of-10, I hope their propensity for bricks successfully transferred to E'Twaun Moore. Moore shot 1-of-14 from the field as a struggling Purdue team got railroaded by Minnesota on the same day in the same building. Both teams hope that kind of shooting is behind them.

Senior Night Reflections

Click here to watch this year's senior class tribute.It was a great night at the Kohl Center for Badger fans as Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon relished their final performance in front of the home crowd.

The duo scored 12 of UW's first 14 points and set the tone for one final creampuff blowout against the undermanned Iowa Hawkeyes. From there, the rejuvenated Jon Leuer had his way, scoring 10 points in a row on dunks and treys to put Wisconsin up 26-10. The lead ballooned to 20 by halftime and got as large as 30. [box score]

Action got a tad sloppy as the players smelled the blood in the water and tried to make their own highlight reel play. Pop took some wild shots that ended up distorting his FG%, but you cannot blame a guy for trying to impress his momma in the stands, who was seeing her son play live in Madison for the first time as a Badger believe it or not.

Leuer, who finished with 18 points, might have stolen the show and even got to exit the game with the two seniors. In general, the Badger big men did whatever they wanted -- Leuer and Nankivil combined to shoot 11-of-13 from the field. With such a large lead, 15 different Badgers saw aciton.

But in the end, the focus was rightly on the seniors. Hughes finished with 15 pts, 4 rebs, 4 assts, 3 steals and 2 blocks with just 2 TOs. Bohannon finished with 11 pts, a career-high 9 rebs, 3 assts and only 1 TO.

Both seniors continued to move up the career list for 3-pointers. Hughes is finally knocking on the doorstep of the UW's top ten in career assists as well. He had a few beauties that resulted in huge dunks for his big men, which had recruits in attendance like Marshall Plumlee cracking ear-to-ear smiles. Pop also passed a few legendary Badgers on his way to tying Michael Flowers for third on the all-time steals ladder.

Player - Career Steals (Season Total)
1. Mike Kelley - 275
2. Tracy Webster - 183
3. Trevon Hughes - 171 (49)
3. Michael Flowers - 171
5. Mike Wilkinson - 169
6. Michael Finley - 168

Player - Career Free Throws (Season Total)
7. Devin Harris - 362
8. Sean Mason - 332
9. Trevon Hughes - 319 (92)
10. Dick Cable - 316

Player - Career Free Throw Attempts (Season Total)
7. Joe Franklin - 476
8. Paul Morrow - 449
9. Trevon Hughes - 443 (129)
9. James Johnson - 429

Player - Career 3-Point Field Goals (Season Total)
1. Tim Locum - 227
2. Kirk Penney - 217
3. Michael Finley - 213
4. Jason Bohannon - 208 (64)
5. Trent Jackson - 193
6. Devin Harris - 187
7. Trevon Hughes - 167 (66)
7. Tracy Webster - 167

Player - Career 3-Point Attempts (Season Total)
1. Michael Finley - 631
2. Kirk Penney - 561
3. Jason Bohannon - 539 (155)
4. Devin Harris - 499
5. Tim Locum - 481
6. Sean Mason - 471
7. Trevon Hughes - 465 (165)
8. Kammron Taylor - 430
8. Trent Jackson - 430

Senior Night

Wisconsin seniors Jason Bohannon and Trevon Hughes have a chance to finish the season with the most career wins of any Badgers. It will take four more victories and the task continues tonight against Iowa on Senior Night.

It is ironic that they face the Hawkeyes in their final home game since Bohannon is practically the prodigal son of Iowa basketball and Iowa was the other school on Hughes' final list as well. The butterfly effect would tell us that the quality of Iowa basketball could be substantially different today if Iowa had signed this pair.

Steve Alford and Iowa were fresh off a second-place Big Ten finish and a tournament title that year. The Hawkeyes signed a 5-man class, two being JUCOs, but only one was a guard. Needless to say, Iowa would have loved to have Pop or J-Bo or both. Could that have kept Alford from getting canned? Perhaps not. But the Todd Lickliter era would have been completely different and Wisconsin would have been worse off, especially last season.

The reality is the the power has shifted toward Madison -- Bo Ryan and his senior guards are a big reason why.

Hughes has always been one of my favorite Badgers, despite his flaws and I've enjoyed watching him grow as a leader on this team. Bohannon, on the other hand, has earned a ton of respect just this year and is currently playing the best basketball of anyone on the team. J-Bo will never light the room with a great interview like Hughes might, but both players have come up big in the clutch in their final season together.

A win would assure Wisconsin the #4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, now that Illinois has dropped to 10-7 in conference. The Buckeyes wrapped up a share of the title Tuesday in its final league contest, officially killing UW's title hopes.

Big Ten Braces For Wild Finish

UPDATE 2/25 - 3:40 PM: Robbie Hummel is out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.

After Wisconsin's uncomfortably close home win against Northwestern, it was easy to worry about the Badgers. Wisconsin shot a blistering 75% in the first half against the porous Wildcat defense, but needed every ounce of energy to hold on in the second half. [box score] Even though the team reached the 20-win mark for the sixth time in Bo Ryan's tenure, something has not seemed right as Jon Leuer tries to get assimilated back into the lineup off the bench.

But tight finishes turned out to be the growing norm in the Big Ten this week.

On Wednesday night, Purdue needed a Keaton Grant jumper to overcome Robbie Hummel's knee injury at Minnesota and Ohio State ended up getting all it could handle from Penn State. So if Wisconsin was planning on making up ground when someone else above them stumbled, it's time for Plan B.

Despite splitting it's last four games, Wisconsin still had an efficiency footprint identical to the streaking Boilermakers prior to Wednesday's games. Along with Ohio State, these teams clearly have posted the best combined offensive and defensive efficiency numbers in league play. That is a compliment to how well the team started out in conference. But it's not time to go back to the drawing board for the Badgers, since there is still positioning and seeding to play for.

Among the five top tier teams in the Big Ten, only three of their 21 combined losses have been to "bottom six" conference teams. And those losses came only to Northwestern (twice) and Minnesota (once). So it's safe to assume that Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois and Wisconsin can be penciled in for wins against anyone named Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Penn State. That leaves about 3-4 important games left in the Big Ten:

Minnesota @ Illinois (Feb. 27)
Michigan State @ Purdue (Feb. 28)
Illinois @ Ohio State (Mar. 2)
Wisconsin @ Illinois (Mar. 7)

Purdue has now won 10 in a row, but it's reasonable to think they may drop a game or two unexpectedly if Hummel is shelved for an extended period. The Boilers' tilt with the Spartans is the most likely spot. If Purdue can win, say hello to your 2010 champion.

If not, we could be looking at a three-way tie at 14-4, depending of course on OSU's ability to get by Illinois. Illinois has three tough remaining games. Wisconsin should control it's own destiny with respect to finishing above Illinois for fourth place (to keep that other "streak" alive) because of their season finale in Champaign.

Any way you slice it, the top of the Big Ten will be a cluttered mix of quality teams.

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While the Badgers are probably anxious to work out the kinks on their road trip to Bloomington, Trevon Hughes is will continue to move up the Wisconsin record books. With one more steal, Hughes will tie Michael Finley for fifth place in career thefts. With one more made free throw, Pop will tie Dick Cable for ninth on that all-time list.

Wisconsin Knocked Out Of Big Ten Race

It sucks to be out of the Big Ten Conference title race. Now Wisconsin fans are left to rationalize away the team's downward trending performance because the team has exceeded preseason expectations. Small consolation. The Badgers are 3-3 in their last six games and sit in fifth place.

What sucks worse is getting blown out in the last two losses to unranked teams and losing three in a row to Minnesota. And this one was a thrashing.

Tubby Smith mulled over a twin towers starting lineup for this game, but it didn't matter who started. Minnesota's height and length was too much for No. 14 Wisconsin, starting with Ralph Sampson III. The Gophers out-rebounded the Badgers 36-20 in a game where every tipped ball, bounce and call seemed to go Minnesota's way. [box score]

Prior to tip-off, I suspected that Wisconsin needed to pounce on Minnesota early and limit its turnovers to have success at the Barn. The Gophers have lacked confidence lately and called a players only meeting earlier this week in an effort to manufacture some confidence. A fast start by UW could have really frustrated a team like that. But even though Wisconsin controlled the ball well, the Badgers couldn't sustain a 6-0 lead.

In fact, once Jon Leuer checked in, Minnesota rattled off a 14-2 run and never trailed thereafter. Leuer got some open looks but didn't quite look up to game speed. The bandaged wrist appeared to prevent him from grabbing a couple rebounds with both hands properly and he failed to convert a bunny that he normally would have dunked. It will take a few more games to get the big guy comfortable again.

Blake Hoffarber got loose for 12 of his 16 points in the first half, hitting from all angles, and also pulled down a game-high 9 boards. Nice game. Wisconsin shut him down in the second, but the end of the first half ensured that the Badgers would be playing uphill the rest of the night.

Trailing by just five with under a minute until halftime, Ryan Evans got called for a horrendous loose ball foul on a rebound he corralled fair and square with two hands above Justin Cobbs. Bo Ryan, naturally got T'd up and the Goofs hit all four gift free throws. Just like that, it's a nine-point game.

Jason Bohannon and Trevon Hughes combined for 37 points, including 9-of-19 3-point shooting, but the "Minnesota Baadgers" let the team down. Jordan Taylor, Jon Leuer and Mike Bruesewitz shot a combined 3-of-22 from the floor. Taylor had two indefensible (and uncharacteristic) turnovers, while Bruesewitz fouled out after 20 minutes of play and four rebounds.

Rob Wilson was credited with one minute of PT in a game where UW had trouble getting to the rim and drawing fouls. Go figure.

Parting thoughts
:: Hughes was nearly invisible during the game's first 10 minutes. He really stepped up his defensive intensity in the second half, including a highlight-reel theft from Devoe Joseph that led to Pop's layup and three-point play opportunity. Where was that intensity from Hughes earlier? He needs to put together a complete game for 40 minutes ... it's been awhile.

:: Stories about Lawrence Westbrook's attitude and his odd relationship with teammates and coaches have surfaced this year. So his petty attempted dunk over Keaton Nankivil at the end of the game just cemented his status as the least likable player in the Big Ten. Westbrook appeared to be dribbling out the game's final seconds when he realized the shot clock was going to expire so he blew by Hughes and went to the goal hard. Keep in mind Westbrook had not scored a field goal all night until this point. I doubt he would have tried that garbage if the Gophers were losing. Any way, I'm just as disappointed that Nankivil didn't deliver a harder foul.

:: A throw-away line in Tom Oates' article yesterday stated that Wisconsin "reduced its turnovers to a trickle" when Taylor replaced Leuer in the starting lineup. That got me thinkin' (and fact checkin'). Wisconsin actually committed 36 turnovers in the four Big Ten games before Leuer's injury (9 TOs/g) and 70 in nine games without him (under 8 TOs/g). Tonight in his return, Wisconsin only turned the ball over five times so it wasn't a Taylor-Leuer thing.

:: Wisconsin has only one more chance for a good road win, that one being at Illinois to finish the conference slate. Without Wisconsin's two miraculous comebacks against doormats Michigan and Penn State, this team would be .500 in league play right now, theoretically having lost six out of nine games. Thank goodness for reality ...

:: The Badgers clearly struggle with tall teams, having missed on all their recent recruits at the center position. While J.P. Gavinski and Ian Markolf ride the pine indefinitely, it is most frustrating that redshirt freshman Jared Berggren has a warm seat next to them. Rumors of Berggren's off-season progress were evidently way overblown.

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!

Vote Hughes For Cousy Award

Wisconsin senior Trevon Hughes was named one of 11 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award yesterday. The award is given annually by the Basketball Hall of Fame to the nation's top point guard.

Whoever wins the online Fan Voting will get an extra vote in committee's final voting. So vote! You don't have anything better to do, do ya?

Hughes is up against some tough competition, with the likes of John Wall, Jon Scheyer, Scottie Reynolds and Sherron Collins in the mix too. Pop has run into his share of snags in the Big Ten season, but is still having a phenomonal year for the Badgers. He leads the team in scoring, steals, free throws and 3-pointers.

The winner will be announced on April 5.

Scratching and Clawing

After Wednesday's battle between Badgers and Wolverines, Bo Ryan struggled to find any other words to describe how Wisconsin emerged victorious, other than that his guys continued scratching and crawling.

The first half was incredibly hard to watch. Despite plenty of good looks, "Wisconsin couldn't buy a bucket" was the simple explanation. Six scoreless minutes to start the game ... second field goal nearly 10 minutes in ... 32% shooting from the floor in the first half. As we've seen lately, the team was still settling for lots of 3-pointers (1-10 in the half, 4-24 overall). The Badgers seemed to get more impatient with every missed shot and rushed the offense at times.

But UW got its cool back late in the first half and was fortunate to be down only 21-18 thanks to Michigan's own ineptitude (imagine how Tom Izzo would have described it). When Wisconsin held Michigan scoresless in the final five minutes of the half and pulled to within one possession on the bank shot by Trevon Hughes, I left the house feeling pretty good about the ultimate outcome.

Yet UW continued to trail until the final minutes. Michigan's senior big man DeShawn Sims continued to exploit Wisconsin's void inside to lead the Wolverines. While Tim Jarmusz effectively shut down and disengaged Manny Harris, the rest of Michigan's team was coming up empty, however, especially the bench (1 point). Sims finished with 23 pts and 13 rebs. [box score]

This year's Badgers know how to scratch and claw for these wins though. They did it by valuing possessions, so keeping the turnovers to a minimum and fighting for offensive boards were huge in the second half. As Michigan's shot selection fell apart, Wisconsin became more determined than ever to get easier looks and get to the foul line.

"You can’t always shoot well," said junior Keaton Nankivil. "We still do a lot of stuff well that puts us in position to win and that’s the way Coach (Ryan) coaches us."

NCAA Basketball

Despite winning the four factors, it still really came down to making shots. Hughes' 16 second-half points and a surprise contribution from Rob Wilson took care of that.

Wilson scored 13 of UW's 19 bench points. Hughes put it best in his post-game interview on the Big Ten Network: "It's about time he stepped up."

I wouldn't quite call it a coming-out party, but Wilson's performance was vital. Just as important as the stats (4-of-6 shooting in 18 mins, no turnovers) was the aggressive attitude, something that seems to elude many members of this UW team when in a hole. Wilson scored in every way on the court, which Hughes classically described as Rob "bringing his scout team game."

The win preserved Bo's flawless record against Michigan coach John Beilein and kept the next blemish on Bo's Kohl Center record (131-10) at bay. As Beilein admitted, Wisconsin is so good at home because, well, the Badgers under Bo have always been a really good team. That speaks to Bo's special ability to lead a steady program.

Wisconsin will try to get out of the gate much stronger on Sunday when UW hosts Penn State.

Experienced Duo Knocks Out Wildcats

In a game where Wisconsin's lack of front court experience had everyone nervous, the senior back court said resoundingly, "don't worry 'bout it."

Jason Bohannon used a variety of moves to pull the Badgers even, 27-27, in a slowed-paced first half against Northwestern. Bohannon led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting, in spite of hitting only 1-of-5 on his 3-pointers.

Bohannon then passed the torch to Trevon Hughes. Hughes, apparently unsatisfied with his reputation as an ACC sniper, completely took over down the stretch. After 33 minutes of terrible shooting, Hughes caught fire, turning a three-point deficit into a seven-point lead that #13 Wisconsin (14-3, 4-1) never relinquished. Pop hit five of his last six shots, including 4-of-5 from distance to scratch out a 60-50 road victory in Evanston. [box score]

Both of the seniors played all 40 minutes. Sophomore Jordan Taylor logged 37 minutes in his first start, notching 7 assists and zero turnovers. Hughes led a balanced rebounding effort (each starter grabbed at least five) with 7 boards. Still, the three-guard lineup looked pretty gassed with five minutes to play, especially Taylor. But Bo Ryan's thoughtful timeout before the last media timeout allowed the team to maintain the momentum that Hughes was providing.

Having Hughes and Taylor on the floor together is very comforting when playing a trapping team like Northwestern -- I am not nearly as nervous as I would have been two years ago. This is a game that the team might have let slip away even last year. Hughes' sense of the moment and emotional leadership prevented that from happening.

For a some great new background info on one of tonight's stars, head over to Luke Winn's article at SI.com. It is very insightful, clearing up some common misnomers about the nickname "Pop" and digging a little deeper into Hughes' path to Wisconsin. I found it ironic that a national writer brought some of these items to light (I may have missed it if local articles covered this stuff years ago), so Winn should be applauded for that.

After picking up a huge win versus the Wildcats (12-4, 1-3), the Badgers will prepare for another important road game against red hot Ohio State. Like the Wildcats, the Buckeyes will throw some zone at Wisconsin so this was good preparation for Saturday.

Ohio State (12-5, 2-3) doesn't have much in the big man department either, so you might see roughly the same rotation (ie: no Jared Berggren). Mike Bruesewitz was efficient on the offensive glass, but the three reserves totaled only 18 minutes among them. In the absence of Jon Leuer, fatigue is going to be an increased risk.

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Oh, and this is also awesome: Club Trillion founder Mark Titus strikes mixtape gold. [video]

Badgers, Spartans Jockey For Early Position

With Minnesota's loss to Purdue, Wisconsin's next two games will go a long way to shaping the early conference pecking order. Before the Badgers (12-2) get a shot at Purdue, they face off against arch-nemesis Michigan State (11-3). Wisconsin has lost four in a row in East Lansing, dating back to Bo Ryan's first loss to Tom Izzo in 2005.

This seems like two evenly matched teams, though Vegas has installed Sparty as the clear favorite. As the guys from MSU blog The Only Colors point out, both of these teams are doing what they do best. Namely, the Badgers are taking care of the basketball and the Spartans are hoarding their own missed shots. But no team in the nation limits opponent's second chances like Wisconsin.

The 17th-ranked Badgers enter the game scoring about 72 ppg, 10 fewer than the 10th-ranked Spartans. But MSU also gives up approximately 10 more ppg than UW does. See that evenly-matched theme again? As usual, it will come down to execution.

Trevon Hughes has led UW in scoring the past two games to snap out of the sleepwalk he was in prior to facing Ohio State. But the trepidation for Badger fans stems from Jon Leuer's inability to stay out of foul trouble at all in the team's first two Big Ten games (the same Leuer, btw, that The Only Colors mentioned as a possible Big Ten POY). Guys like budding rebound machine Draymond Green could make life difficult again for Leuer when coupled with MSU's ability to drive past the Badgers' perimeter defense to the cup.

Both teams have some depth, with a rotation of seven players and the ability to go 10 (UW) or 11 (MSU) deep if they have to. After seeing Ryan Evans perform against Duke earlier this year, I feel pretty comfortable with Bo's rotation staying composed in a big game. Can he duplicate this poise on the road?

With all the recent history between the two teams, it was not surprising to hear reports that Kalin Lucas allegedly toed the MSU company line with some comments in a recent interview, much like Goran Suton last season. But why would Lucas need to artificially inflate this game by ignorantly calling Wisconsin dirty? Are these guys being brainwashed by the head coach? There is not a single dirty player on this Wisconsin roster; in fact, if anything, many of the current Badgers are still learning to be less passive. Greg Stiemsma ain't walking through that door, Kalin.

Could it be that the Spartans need to pump themselves up to get that marquee win that has eluded them since beating Gonzaga? Since starting 4-0, Izzo's bunch has dropped every game against quality competition -- on a neutral site versus Florida, at North Carolina and at Texas. Incredibly tough slate, no doubt, but you can see why Michigan State might be searching for a balm of sorts. Right now the conference buzz is about Purdue, but a win over this year's new media darlings from Madison would put the Spartans right back at the forefront of the title chase. I, for one, have not forgotten that talent-wise Michigan State is just as stacked as it was to begin the year.

Links:
- Hughes was named one of 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award yesterday. I'd handicap this year's award for best point-guard as a two-horse race between Duke's Jon Scheyer and Kentucky's John Wall, with Sherron Collins at Kansas an outside consideration. Hughes is among the second-tier group after those three, but we shall see ...
- Sounds like Milwaukee native Calvin Godfrey is pretty comfortable with his new high school team up in Minnesota. The former Milwaukee Custer forward lit up Jordan Taylor's old crew, Benilde-St. Margaret's, on Tuesday night as the Twin Cities Hoops Czar chronicled.

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

Bo Ryan Goes For 200th Win At Wisconsin

Life is good for Bo Ryan's squad. The national media has done the expected about-face and are now gushing over the Wisconsin Badgers after their impressive win over Duke.

Step two was to avoid a letdown, which UW did by beating Grambling St. last Saturday in dominant fashion, 79-46. Trevon Hughes continued his stellar play and was rewarded by being named the Big Ten's Player of the Week. Perhaps more importantly, Jason Bohannon found his shooting touch and Jordan Taylor continued to emerge as a vital cog in the Badger machine (11 pts, 7 rebs, 5 assts). [box score]

Now comes step three: the first true road game. The Badgers might even get some assistance on this task. Thanks to blizzard-like conditions in the area, who knows how many fans will show up in Green Bay tonight at the Resch Center or whether it will amount to any type of home court atmosphere for the Phoenix.

The game will be the first of two important back-to-back contests versus in-state opponents. If the Badgers are successful tonight, Bo will have earned his 200th win as UW's head coach. In his nine seasons at Wisconsin, Bo has compiled a 199-74 record, with a Big Ten winning percentage (71.2) that is better than any other conference coach with at least five season under their belt. He is now approaching 600 wins overall as a collegiate head coach.

Then on Saturday, Wisconsin tries to snap a two-game losing streak to Marquette at the Kohl Center. The Badgers will need to handle possible changes in expectations, adapting from the hunter to the hunted once again. It is yet another chance for Wisconsin to show the nation that it's for real ... potential recruits included.

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Hughes' ascension as an All-Big Ten caliber player is obviously a huge reason the Badgers are back on the radar. In hindsight, Hughes probably deferred a too much to seniors Joe Krabbenhoft and Marcus Landry last year, which meant the Badgers lacked that alpha dog on the court. While Hughes has always made a splash in the non-conference schedule, I expect Hughes to play well against the in-state opponents and continue doing so for the rest of the season thanks to his own increased sense of ownership of this team.

When a player like Hughes has success under Bo on a national stage, it only strengthens Bo's credentials and can elevate the perception of the program, maybe even with recruits. Specifically I mention Hughes because he was unique: a highly-touted guard recruit; big city kid with a flashy style of play; starter from day one of his sophomore year. Bo has won with rosters full of guys much different than Hughes.

You could see the growing pains as the head coach broke down his point guard for three years, Bo often kept Hughes on a short leash and the Queens native struggled through a couple of roller coaster seasons. He was hesitant at times, out of control at others. Some folks, myself included, wondered if Bo hadn't hollowed out a talented player by removing his flashy instincts. Meanwhile, some of the better high school recruits in recent years avoided Madison as their basketball home, occasionally citing style of play or atmosphere.

Fast forward to today and the leash is off entirely. Hughes leads the 20th-ranked Badgers as they restake their claim as the premier Division 1 basketball program in the state. Now instead of pointing to Devin Harris, who is sooo five years ago, the coaching staff can show aspiring ballers another lead guard with an A-game. This ain't no fluke, it's a promise: You will win at Wisconsin, you will become the best you can be, and yeah, you can even look good doing it (cue the faux-hawk).

Bo Ryan has built a perennial winner and is working toward a great tradition and legacy. Two hundred wins will do that for you. Recruits beware.

Wisconsin Stares Down the Devils

Nearly perfect.

That's the only way I can describe Wisconsin's wire-to-wire, 73-69 victory over No. 6 Duke to all but clinch the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. In fact last night, I could not even articulate the joy when Jordan Taylor's free throw fell true with two seconds remaining.

Sure, I gave the Badgers a chance in this game, but realistically, I did not expect the Badgers to put together the perfect game it would take to beat the Dukies. As it turned out, UW only turned the ball over five times, including once on a shot-clock violation. That is perfection in my book. Wisconsin turned Duke over 11 times with some timely blocked shots and steals, which the Blue Devils (6-1) could not duplicate with their own defense.

Even so, Wisconsin (5-1) didn't need everything else to be flawless after all. For example:

- It's hard to believe Wisconsin, who started the game shooting nearly 70% from the floor, wound up with lower FG, 3FG and FT percentages than Duke, but still won. [box score]

- It's hard to believe that while Kyle Singler scored at will in the first half (7-of-10 FGs) and scored a game-high 28 points, Wisconsin still won. Just as surprising was that Bo Ryan did not hesitate to throw different defenders at him. Even when it seemed Singler was wearing through a new Badger defender, the combinations eventually wore him down.

Bo has an infinitely wiser basketball mind than me, but is often so set in his upperclassmen-centric, man-to-man ways that his fairly short leash on junior Tim Jarmusz was refreshing. The second attempt was redshirt freshman Ryan Evans, who also couldn't slow Singler in the first half. As Jay Bilas pointed out at halftime, Bo's most effective defense was actually the smaller, quicker Taylor at the end of the first half. But to start the second half, there was Keaton Nankivil isolated on Singler. Then Bo switched back to the Evans & Taylor duo that got the job done down the stretch.

- It's hard to believe that even though Jason Bohannon could not buy a bucket from outside (0-6 on 3-pointers) or keep up with Andre Dawkins (who hit three straight treys in a 1:40 stretch) at the end, and Jon Leuer went ice cold in the second half, Wisconsin still won. God bless Trevon Hughes.

Hughes was mercurial in victory. He did not have a single turnover. He took a lot of shots from every range, but hit them (68.7 eFG%) for a career-high 26 points. The threat of his penetration allowed a few 3-point daggers from the bigs. My only gripe is that he didn't demand the ball on the final possessions, when UW got a bad shot from Evans and a lot of dribbling from Taylor.

- It's hard to believe that without the eight free throw attempts that came when Duke was deliberately fouling, Wisconsin was again on its way to attempting fewer free throws than its opponent made. And UW still handed Duke it's first-ever loss in the Challenge.

The most important factor in beating Duke was the 19-9 lead the Badgers quickly built in the first five and a half minutes. Apparently Wisconsin does remember how to play with a lead (unlike last year). Hughes said it best in the post-game when he talked about the team staying very loose in the early going, which enabled the Badgers to hit all their open looks. This was possible thanks to great passing and ball movement from each player, highlighted by the team's season-high 17 assists.

Oddly, the only one of my pregame keys to winning that Wisconsin accomplished was rebounding, where they battled Duke to a 32-32 draw. When you consider that several clutch rebounds to preserve the win came from the inexperienced Evans and the 6'2" Bohannon, you can see even more clearly the total team effort.

An almost unbelievable win.